


Quicksilver

by ToxicParalysis



Category: Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Developing Relationship, Drama, Drama & Romance, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Family Issues, First Crush, First Kiss, First Love, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Loyalty, M/M, Mind Meld, Minor Character Death, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Pack Family, Past Relationship(s), Psychic Abilities, Psychic Bond, Psychological Drama, Scenting, Scents & Smells, Self-Discovery, Self-Hatred, Sharing Body Heat, True Love, Trust Issues, Wolf Instincts, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-19
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:13:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 76,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24695839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicParalysis/pseuds/ToxicParalysis
Summary: Roxas is a young wolf running from his past, setting off to find a new life far to the west. The wolves he meets on his journey will change his life forever, and bring into question everything he's ever known to be true; his past, his present, and his future.
Relationships: Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Cloud/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Naminé/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Zack/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 7





	1. Encounter

Roxas twisted towards the sound of howling nearby, ears twitching atop his head as they swiveled to face the eerie call. His long, bushy tail waved back and forth behind him restlessly, the moon turning his tawny gold pelt silver in the dark light. Blue eyes surveyed the woods behind him nervously, his long, sensitive nose sniffing the night air, sensing for danger. It was all around him, but at a good distance for now. The clans of the area were in the middle of an intense battle Roxas had unluckily wandered into. He had no choice but to hide in the shadows and try to make his way through the woods to a safer haven. He couldn't stay here, not now.

Eyes flitting upwards to the stars he turned westward, running on strong, sleek legs, paws pounding the earth as he put the approaching wolves far behind him. He wasn't from either of the clans, the black wolves of the mountains or the red wolves of the woods; he came from far to the east where his golden pelt matched the pristine sands of the ocean, and the cool breezes brought the sounds of the sea to his ears and a salty tang to his nose. It was nothing like here, where the trees creaked and the animals hid in their holes, fearful of the powerful sentries who patrolled the land. The earth was hard and cold beneath his feet, the air a harsh cold as winter settled in. Still, he headed west; away from the sands he loved, away from the villages he knew so well, away from everything he had once held so dear. He ran, away to a new future somewhere in the west. But first he had to escape the battle he found himself so mistakenly drawn into. He had been lucky so far, remaining unnoticed along the outskirts of the battlefield. Then again, his luck never lasted very long.

Panting, Roxas reached the top of the hill he'd been running towards, looking down into the woods behind him to make sure he wasn't being followed. Suddenly a wolf snarled and barked behind him, Roxas twisting around to see a large red wolf and a massive black wolf circling one another, the smaller red wolf growling and snapping its jaws. The black wolf was intimidating, standing tall on large muscled haunches, the ruff on the back of his neck standing tall; a menacing, deep growl rumbling behind closed fangs.

The red wolf made the first move, leaping forward and snapping his fangs across the black wolf's chest, the bigger wolf moving to the side and sinking his jaws into the shoulder of the smaller wolf before the red wolf managed to break away. Growling, blood slowly spilling from the wound in his shoulder down his front leg, the red wolf growled, "You have no place here, this is our land."

"Tell that to your hunters," the black wolf snarled, "They've been caught trespassing twice since the last full moon. We are tired of your excuses. This ends now."

"They are young and foolish; they do not understand the boundaries of our clans." The red wolf barked back, "When your pups wander to the river we make no move to attack them. They are naïve and should not be punished for rules they are too young to follow."

Violet eyes flashed, the black wolf taking a step closer. "Our pups have never attacked your hunters on your own land! My sister was mauled by your guard, my hunters harassed by your hunters. You are too young to control such a large pack, Axel! They do not listen to you!" He bared his fangs. "They will listen to me."

Roxas backed away from the wolves slowly; intent on escaping before they began fighting again, but his movement seemed to draw their attention, for both of the larger wolves looked over at him at the same time. The tawny wolf froze, heart pounding in his chest, blue eyes darting between violet and green, waiting to see what was about to happen. A confrontation of alphas wasn't something that usually held an audience, and Roxas was trespassing…which was exactly what the two packs were warring over in the first place. Not to mention when he left the woods he would have to pass through the mountains, an invasion of both the red wolves' and the black wolves' territories. He lowered his ears slightly, looking between the two watching him, until finally the red wolf, Axel, moved forward. They were still in the woods after all, which meant of the two alphas present Roxas would have to answer to the red wolf.

"Who are you, what are you doing here." Green eyes pierced through him as the larger wolf advanced, his muzzle revealed his fangs as he snarled.

"I-I'm sorry." Roxas replied, taking a step back. "I was just passing through."

"Are you scouting?" Axel asked, an edge in his voice. A scout was a wolf from another pack who would trespass into territory they knew to be occupied, to see how large the inhabiting clan was and how easily it could be defeated. Being accused of scouting was not something to be taken lightly.

"No! No, I'm not. Honestly, I was just passing through." Blue eyes searched green. "I have no intention of causing problems for your clan, and I apologize for crossing your territory." His eyes flitted to the black wolf watching them, and he added, "I didn't mean to get involved…"

Axel stepped forward, Roxas lowering his ears a bit more but making no move to retreat. The red wolf was larger, which undoubtedly meant he would be faster; it was pointless for the younger wolf to run. The red alpha sniffed his neck and ears, Roxas half-expecting the older wolf to bite him, but Axel sniffed him again then pulled back. "You're not marked by an alpha, which affirms your claims of not being a scout." His green eyes hardened. "You're young, too young to be a rogue. Why are you by yourself?"

Roxas' heart clenched longingly at the other wolf's words. It was still so new to him, the thought of being alone, of no longer being marked by an alpha... The golden wolf hesitated, not sure of what to say. "I…"

A sharp howl broke the tension in the air, the large black wolf watching them turning towards the sound anxiously. "Tifa…" He lifted his chest, pointed his muzzle towards the sky and howled; a deep, echoing sound that soared through the woods and pierced the night air. Moments later black wolves were running out of the forest to the alpha's side, some bleeding or limping from their bouts with the red wolves but all ready and at attention near their leader's massive paws. The wolf stepped forward, violet eyes locked on Axel. "My sister needs me, so I will withdraw for the night. Know that this is not over."

The black wolves slowly turned to leave as their leader made his way through the dark trees, following after him, their eyes gleaming at the smaller alpha angrily. Axel stood his ground, growling when one wolf snorted at him, but soon the red wolf and the tawny wolf were the only wolves left standing atop the hill. Axel watched the woods long after they had disappeared, their howls sill audible far off in the distance. Only when silent moments had passed did the red wolf turn back to Roxas, looking the younger wolf over thoughtfully. "Pass through quickly and silently. The less you are noticed the safer it will be for you."

Roxas lifted his ears slightly. "I will, thank you."

Axel watched him for a moment longer then turned and sauntered off through the woods, limping slightly from the wound on his shoulder, leaving a trail of blood droplets as he went. Roxas stayed where he was, listening to the shuffling of brush fade into silence, then let out a long breath he'd been holding in for far too long. He swayed, falling back on his haunches, and felt his form shifting. That had been one of the most intense things he'd witnessed since leaving his lands. It seemed his land wasn't the only one under the siege of war. Moonlight peeked through the needled bows of the pine trees above him, casting rays of light down on his pale skin and shaggy, tawny spikes. Holding his wolf form took a lot of concentration and energy, and after a long while it could be quite draining. The boy was exhausted, and in need of a good hearty meal and a warm place to sleep. Sadly that wasn't likely to happen, given the state of things in the woods and the nearby mountains. He wasn't about to go seeking hospitality from either of the clans. He sat there naked under the moonbeams for several long minutes, thinking about what he should do, before he lifted himself back up and exhaled slowly, shifting back into wolf form. Sitting around wasn't going to accomplish anything, and if he was going to be on his own for what could possibly be the remainder of his life he needed to start taking care of himself, the sooner the better.

This was something wolves did when they went out on their own; they found their own food, made their own shelter, avoided confrontation and lived solitary lives. He wasn't the first and he was sure he wouldn't be the last. He might be the youngest to attempt what he was doing, but he had nothing left to lose. Going west seemed like the quickest way to get as far from his past as possible. So, west he went. He walked through the tall trees at first, the scent of fresh blood caught in his nose as the wind blew through the trees over and over. His pace quickened to a run, trying to escape that eerie, coppery smell. It seemed to stay with him long after he was out of the battle area, his nimble paws carrying him up an incline towards the forest closest to the mountains. The pine needles and leaves were thicker here, the ground littered with pinecones and nuts of various sorts. Movement caught his eye through the thick trunks of two nearby trees; a squirrel, gathering acorns for the coming winter. He had pounced before the small animal had noticed he was there, killing it with one quick bite and curling up near the base of a tree to devour the tiny meal.

He licked his chops, savoring the feeling of his energy returning almost instantaneously, but the young wolf knew that it would run out quickly with a meal that small. He needed to find about half-a-dozen more squirrels if he was even going to even think about getting a good night's sleep. Trying to rest on an empty stomach led to long, sleepless nights. He knew this already from the past few weeks he'd been on his journey. He still wasn't the best at catching birds, and when he'd crossed the plains before reaching the woods there hadn't been much of anything else to hunt. He was best with small, non-flying animals, or sea creatures. Growing up so close to the ocean he'd learned early how to catch fish and crabs, and how to climb the cliffs to grab unprotected eggs from their nests. With the two clans already fighting over territory and hunting on each other's grounds Roxas wasn't sure if he would be able to find another squirrel at all, let alone be able to hunt in peace. He could smell other wolves nearby, his ears perked and listening intently for the sound of shuffling or running. Another confrontation was the last thing he needed, and since Axel was already long gone it would be pure chance if he managed to be lucky enough to escape unscathed again. The other clan might not be as forgiving as the red alpha, and the whiplash a rogue wolf could receive from a clan for trespassing could be severe. Even deadly if the offense was deemed unforgiveable.

He rose to his feet and began padding softly through the underbrush, ears straining to hear any upcoming danger. A lone wolf could never be too careful, especially one of his size. He was too young to truly fight; he knew how to, and he was good at it, but when it came down to sheer size he lacked the girth and muscle the older wolves had. The most he could do without risking serious injury to himself or his opponent was to just defend himself until he could make a break for it. The tawny wolf grit his fangs when he heard howling, increasing his gait to a run. From the sound of it the mountain clan wasn't happy, and he did not want to be caught by one of them this close to their border. He skirted the edge of the forest, sniffing the air and making out the invisible line that was the territory marker between the two clans. It was rank with several different scents, Roxas wrinkling his nose and sneezing. He lifted his paw and rubbed his muzzle, trying to clear his senses, when suddenly aggressive growling pierced his ears. Roxas jolted, backing up a few paces and meeting eyes with a large, red-eyed wolf. Another wolf ran up to the male's flank, the younger wolf instantly picking out that it was a female wolf. Her shoulders weren't as broad, and she was slightly less bulky. The two wolves continued to watch him, the male wolf growling and clawing at the ground.

Roxas was still technically in the red clan's territory, but that didn't mean these two wolves wouldn't cross the border to get to him. He cocked his ears back, careful not to turn his back to the other male and leave himself vulnerable to attack but slowly walking away from them along the borderline between the two territories. The male wolf's growling grew more threatening, midnight black fur bristling as he followed Roxas' movements with an angry glare. He took a step forward but stopped as his pack-mate spoke.

"He doesn't look like he's one of them." She said softly, her eyes flashing ruby as she looked over at the tawny wolf.

"His intentions are clear," the male wolf replied, "he'll cross into our territory the moment he thinks we've gone."

Roxas perked up his ears, looking up at the mountains. No matter how he looked at it he would indeed need to cross the mountains to continue westward, otherwise he'd have to circle the range, and there was no telling how long that would take. He hesitated a moment, then said so the other two wolves could hear, "I'm just trying to head west. Is there any other way besides crossing into your territory? I don't want any trouble."

The bulky male stopped growling when hearing Roxas' voice; it was something that tended to happen once the youth in his tone was recognized. It meant to most other wolves that since he was young he wasn't a threat. The female wolf picked up on it as well, taking a few steps forward and skirting the border, coming to a halt a few feet from the younger wolf. "You're just a traveler? Lightning didn't send you?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," Roxas replied cautiously, "but no one sent me."

The female wolf perked her ears and looked back at her companion. The male snorted and shook out his fur, his ears flicking as if irritated. "Well then," the large black wolf replied, "If you really are intent on heading west you will need to take the pass through the crags. Otherwise you'll be treading snow for a week, and you'll starve long before then." He turned, his tail swishing behind him. "Come with me, I'll show you the way."

"You're sure?" the female wolf asked her pack-mate, her ears standing up in surprise.

The male didn't reply, just continued steadily up the incline, walking towards the base of the mountain. She watched him go for a moment, then turned to look back at Roxas. "Come on then." The younger wolf hesitated for a moment then crossed the border, following after her with wary movements. She looked over her shoulder at him, her ruby eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "You're right to be cautious, but since Vincent has invited you into our territory you don't have to worry about being attacked. At least, not right away."

Roxas titled his left ear, making a mental note of her words while looking ahead to see that the large black wolf was waiting for them near a paw-worn path cut through the evergreens. "Paine, I need you to go ahead and tell them we're coming. I'd rather not have to fight my own once they catch his scent and come running."

The female wolf nodded, her feet swiftly carrying her up the path and out of sight, leaving Roxas alone with the dark, intimidating wolf. He looked Roxas over in an evaluative manner, sniffing the air for a moment before cocking his ears to the north. A howl echoed in the distance, long and clear, piercing the silence of the forest. Roxas shifted his weight back and forth on his haunches nervously as he heard several wolves echo the first cry. He knew that his presence was quickly becoming known to the entire mountainside, yips and snarls accompanying the closest howls. Vincent looked over at Roxas, grinning and revealing his large fangs. He tilted his head, motioning towards the path, then turned and began trotting across the treaded earth. Roxas followed behind him, senses on high alert, ears fully erect. There were nearly a dozen scents bombarding him all at once as they broke the crest of the embankment, eyes watching him curiously as he followed after Vincent towards their meeting grounds. It was a large, open space that Roxas knew must not be far from the dens. It took the other members of the clan no time at all to gather together to see their unexpected visitor's approach. Vincent stopped for a moment, looking back at the younger wolf, Roxas lowering his ears slightly and halting his steps. The larger wolf continued down the path for a moment, forking north and out of sight. Paine was there a moment later, walking up to the tawny wolf and cocking her ears at him. Roxas tilted his head towards her, raising his ears a bit. She stood with him, the other wolves watching silently, the air still as they waited for something.

That something, Roxas discovered, was their alpha. As Vincent returned another black wolf was with him, his presence instantly causing the other wolves to bow their heads in respect. Roxas lowered his ears and met eyes with the alpha who had confronted Axel earlier that night. His violet eyes met the younger wolf's blue, Vincent standing back as the alpha continued forward towards Roxas. "So Axel really did let you go," he said nonchalantly, "I was beginning to wonder if truth was still capable of coming out of his throat." A few nearby wolves snickered quietly, the alpha's ears twitching. The noise instantly turned to dead silence, nothing but the wind audible as it swept through the trees. "Vincent tells me you're still intent on traveling west, as you said the first time we met. What I have yet to find out is why."

Roxas tensed as the alpha stepped closer, lowering his ears a bit more. "I've never been to the west, but I was told that there might be a place for me there."

The alpha wolf watched him, his violet eyes boring into Roxas like fire against his golden fur. "So you're looking for another pack? What was wrong with your own?"

"There was nothing wrong with my pack…" He looked away slightly, his words soft. "A large human city was expanding into our territory. It caused…complications of an unresolvable nature." The younger wolf shifted uneasily. "Now I have no ties to any pack, and I'm not necessarily looking for one either." He looked up at the other wolf. "I simply want a place where I can live my life in some semblance of happiness…"

The black wolf came to a stop near his shoulder, leaning forward and sniffing him tentatively. "I hear nothing but truth in your words, and I have an uncanny way of picking out lies when they present themselves." He turned from Roxas and looked around at his pack. "I believe this wolf to be what he says he is. A young rogue heading west, nothing more. He poses no threat to us." He looked to Paine for a moment, then turned and walked back up the path to Vincent. As he passed the other wolf, he added, "Treat him as you would any other traveler. We do not need any more bloodshed tonight."

As the alpha passed Vincent bowed his head respectfully and then padded over to Roxas. "You're free to hunt, but keep in mind we have mouths to feed. Take only what is needed. There are outer caves if you need a place to sleep." He motioned for Paine, who came to his side. "My sister and I are head guards of the clan, seek us out if you deem it necessary."

Taken back by their sudden transition from hostile to hospitable, Roxas could only stammer, "T-thank you. I'm very grateful."

"Don't thank us," Paine said, rubbing her shoulder against her older brother's, "Thank Zack for giving you a chance. There have been times when he's told us to shred trespassers apart."

Roxas swallowed nervously, watching the two wolves as they walked off together towards the north, several other wolves following them. One smaller wolf stayed behind, taking a few steps towards the tawny newcomer and wagging their tail. "I'm Yuffie," The petite female wolf greeted, "I can show you where the rogues tend to make shelter if you like."

Roxas pivoted his ears towards her, her warm brown eyes watching him with a sense of awe. "Sure, that would be nice." He replied, the smaller wolf wagging her tail again and turning towards the way the other wolves had gone.

"This way! I'll take you to the edge of the dens." Yuffie led Roxas over another ridge, a large rock wall coming into view as they reached the base of the nearest mountain. Smoke darkened the sky from a large fire near the middle of the main den, the smell of smoked meat rich in the air. Yuffie padded around the outside of the largest section of the den, walking up the rock shelf a bit until there was another ledge cut into the rock. "Here we are, the outer caves." Roxas walked up to her side, eyes searching over the dark holes in the side of the mountain. "There are old hovels there, deep in the rock where hunters used to make fires." Yuffie said, motioning towards one of the larger entrances. "No one except the passing rogues use them now."

"Thank you," the tawny wolf said, relief in his voice, looking over at the other wolf when he felt her eyes on him again. "What is it?" he asked, the petite wolf shaking out her fur and opening her mouth in a wolf's grin.

"Your color, I've never seen it before. It's golden like the wheat from the plains to the east." She tilted her head, "Is that where you come from?"

Roxas flicked his tail absently, thinking for a moment before answering. "I'm not from the plains, I'm from a place much further east where the sands near the ocean reflect my color."

"You're a sea wolf? But the ocean is so far away…" Yuffie watched him for a moment, noticing the tenseness in his shoulders, then said, "Well anyway, there's lots of rabbit nearby, and if you're really up for a challenge you can try to catch a goat."

Roxas looked over at her again, "Goat?"

The black wolf nodded, "Mountain goats, there's a herd of them that circle the range now and then. Lucky for us they happened to decide to pass our den right when we needed the extra meat." She walked up the rise a bit, Roxas watching her. "If you follow this shelf a bit further north you'll have to climb part of the mountain, but the woolies like it up there. If you can manage catch one, feel free. They're tricky animals to hunt."

Yuffie turned and trotted back down to the main den, leaving Roxas alone on the ledge. He did need to eat if he was going to sleep well, but if they were as hard to catch as the other wolf had made it seem, he might waste all of his energy and have nothing to show for it and the end of the night. He'd never hunted for mountain goat before, there weren't any mountains anywhere near where he lived. There were cliffs and caves cut into the rocks by the ocean, but there were only wary birds guarding nests and small crustaceans hidden in the alcoves, trapped in tide pools. Roxas sighed and pushed himself forward, stalking along the shelf towards where Yuffie had suggested there might be mountain goats. Better to try to catch something he'd never caught before than to not try and admit defeat before he'd never started.

The base of the mountain was cold beneath his paws, the air cooler than he had thought it would be. The higher altitude heightened his senses, his breath casting a small fog as he exhaled against the frigid air. He could smell something, a musk of some sort he couldn't quite place. It was like a horses' musk, but different, thicker. He followed the scent up and over the next incline, careful not to step on lose rocks as he climbed a steep and narrow path to a large flat overhanging rock. He flattened his belly against the smooth stone and crawled forward until he could look over it and see a small gathering of animals, their white and grey fleeces shining in the moonlight. Some of the smaller goats were playing together on a series of rocks, jumping back and forth and bleating at one another. They were hardly big enough to call a proper meal. If he was going to do this he was going to have to go big or go back to the caves hungry.

Movement caught his eye, Roxas turning to see two male goats butting heads nearby, their curling horns intertwined together as they fought. They were distracted, and they were a good distance away from the rest of the herd. Keeping himself low to the ground the tawny wolf made his way over to them, picking out the slightly larger male as his target. If the other goat tried to attack Roxas he could manage to fend him off but if the larger goat managed to gouge him with his horns he would be in trouble. As the two animals continued to spar the wolf settled on his haunches, crouching down low and waiting for the right moment. It came when the smaller goat managed to throw the other goat off his balance, Roxas racing forward with a growl and jumping over the smaller male, sinking his teeth into his prey's throat. The other goat cried out in terror, the rest of the herd instantly at its feet, looking around frantically for the sign of other wolves. As the smaller goat ran back to its heard the echo of dozens of hooves racing up and over the closest boulders sounded through the mountain side, the herd of goats quickly fleeing higher than any wolf would care to follow. Roxas clenched his jaw as the goat kicked at him, holding him down with his front legs and shaking his head back and forth until something snapped and the beast lay still. It seemed hunting goat was much like hunting fish. Find one away from the rest, wait until the right opportunity, then bite deep and shake until it stopped moving. Roxas released the goat's throat, looking down at his prize. Maybe his eyes had bit off more than he could chew, he wasn't sure if he would be able to drag the goat back now that it was dead weight. It was a good size, nearly fully grown, and was big enough to share. Perhaps he should ask one of his hosts if they would like the rest, after all Vincent had told him not to waste anything he didn't need.

As he stood there debating what he should do next his ears honed in on approaching steps, looking down the mountainside and towards the woods. There was someone running, Roxas could make out their frenzied pace and ragged breathing as the wind swept up the face of the mountain. The wind also carried with it the scent of blood. The tawny wolf's legs were moving before he had made a coherent thought, racing towards the smell. Something was wrong, he could sense it. Had another fight broken out?

Blue eyes searched across the tree-line as he ran towards the evergreens in the direction of the border, his keen eyes picking out a bright red pelt whisking through the trunks towards the mountains, Roxas catching sight of the wolf breaking through the trees. Indigo eyes looked over at him fearfully, the small red wolf panting, barely standing on her shaking legs. She turned and looked to the south, towards the mountain wolves' den, her ears standing tall and her eyes wide. Another wolf cried out, a terrified yelp that was followed by angry growls and barks, a howl thundering through the darkness. "Serah…" she said pitifully, a shudder visibly passing down her spine.

"What are you doing here?" Roxas asked her, the wolf looking over at him fearfully and taking a step back.

"We were hungry…"

Roxas tilted his head, his tail swaying, "Why are you here? Why not hunt on your own territory?"

The wolf shook her head, her eyes pleading, "You don't understand, there is nothing left to hunt but squirrels and rabbits. The deer, they've moved on. There aren't any moose left either. The human hunters, they've killed them all…"

Roxas shifted his weight back and forth, taking a step towards the other wolf. She was perhaps a few seasons younger than him, fresh bite marks on her side and shoulder. "They're chasing you?"

"They caught Vanille, and now I think Serah…we got separated in the woods." The red wolf panted, "It's different on this side, easy to get lost…"

Suddenly a wolf broke through the low-boughs of a nearby tree, pale amber colored coat stained with blood, "Kairi! We have to get out of here, now!"

"Vanille!" the red wolf cried, running over to her companion, "I thought they stopped you, did you find Serah?"

The older female's eyes revealed her fear, "I heard her scream, I don't know where they took her."

"They came this way, quick!" a voice growled from the forest, the two red wolves taking off in a frantic run towards the mountain. Roxas stood his ground, blue eyes searching through the woods for their pursuers. He knew he shouldn't get involved, but something about the way Kairi had looked at him had his heart twisting. They were only trespassing to search for food, food that had been stolen from them by humans hunting their lands. The two small wolves weren't there to start another fight; they were just trying to survive.

Paine burst through the trees a moment later, followed by two other wolves from her clan. "You again," she said, her eyes hardened rubies, "They were here, weren't they. Which way?"

Roxas hesitated, unsure of what he should do. He didn't need to make any enemies, but he couldn't have them hunt down the red wolves in cold blood. They were young, desperate, and hungry. They needed protection, not aggression. "They headed back towards the border, they were looking for someone."

"We have their little friend, they won't just leave her here." Paine looked over her shoulder, "Quickly, find them!" The other black wolves nodded to her and ran off, leaving Paine and Roxas alone in silence. The black wolf watched him for a long moment, then ran off towards the border as well. Roxas sensed she knew there was something he wasn't saying, but for whatever reason she chose not to act on her suspicions. Perhaps she sympathized with the red wolves' plight as well, or perhaps she just wasn't the type of guard to kill unless specifically ordered to do so. Either way, he was grateful that the black wolf chose not to question his words. He waited until he was sure they were gone, then began making his way back to where the herd of goats had been, searching for any sign of the red wolves.

He found them huddled together near the body of the goat he had fell, ripping apart the beast and feeding themselves as quickly as they could. Vanille raised her head when she heard another wolf approaching, growling low in her throat. "I see you're enjoying my goat." Roxas said, sitting down with a sigh and watching the red wolves eat. "I would suggest taking what you can and making a run for it. The guards won't be searching the border in vain for long."

At his words the amber wolf stopped growling, swallowing deftly and rising to her feet, taking a step towards him. "You told them we'd gone for the border?"

Roxas nodded, his blue eyes meeting her green. "They know you won't leave your clan mate behind, they're waiting for you to show yourselves when you try to get her back."

The smaller red wolf swallowed her mouthful and perked up her ears. "Serah, they said she's still alive?"

"They wouldn't dare kill one of Axel's own," Vanille said, looking over at the other girl. "They know better than to harm one of the alpha's sisters."

"Do you think that's why they let me run?" Kairi asked, a shudder passing through her.

Vanille nodded. "That, and they know the others will be coming. Everyone in the forest heard Serah scream."

Roxas turned and looked back towards the caves, "That means they'll bring the fight here…" He took a few steps forward and sunk his teeth into the goat, taking several large bites and listening to the howling on the wind. The red wolves were indeed coming, the black wolves echoing their battle cries. He had to do something, he had to figure out how to stop this… The female wolves watched him warily, sharing the meal, their ears twitching as they followed the progress of their kinsmen through the forest, the pack stopping at the border and howling furiously. Knowing there was no more time, Roxas ripped another mouthful from the goat and chewed it as he ran, Kairi and Vanille howling as they followed behind him.

"What are you planning on doing?" Vanille called to him, catching up to him quicker than Kairi.

"Your alpha, Axel, has he ever told the mountain wolves alpha you're running out of hunting grounds?" The tawny wolf glanced over at the amber wolf, her green eyes wide.

"How do you know…"

"Your friend told me," Roxas replied, Vanille glancing over her shoulder at Kairi before returning to the golden wolf.

"No, the other clan doesn't know." The older red wolf replied, "It would make us look weak, vulnerable to attack. Axel has made it clear that the other pack is not to know."

"Well the other pack _needs_ to know," Roxas said, darting through the woods, Vanille following him, "They view you being here as a threat, they don't know that you're suffering. If they did, they might actually help you!"

"Help us? Why would they help us!" the other wolf barked out a harsh laugh, "We're their rival clan, the blackies would never help us…"

Roxas grit his fangs. "Someone has to try to talk to them, to explain things. This whole ordeal could be avoided if your clan and theirs would just come to an understanding, if you would ban together against the humans and reclaim your land…" He didn't know if he would be able to talk sense into the alphas of the two clans, but he knew he had to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caught between the two warring clans, will Roxas flee to the west or stay and fight?  
> And if he will fight, with who's side will he chose to align?
> 
> What happened to his family? His pack? His alpha?  
> What happened between the clan of sea wolves and the humans?  
> What past is Roxas so desperately trying to escape?
> 
> Thank you for all your support! Keep reading!  
> More Quicksilver to come!


	2. Sentinel

Their legs carried them swiftly towards the border, their path lined with fallen leaves and soft, dark earth. Vanille ran ahead of him, Roxas slowing his pace so Kairi could run at his side, the tawny wolf watching for any sign of the other clan. He could sense the black wolves were nearby, but he couldn't pinpoint anyone familiar among the darkened trees. Thick clouds were passing over the moon, Roxas' night vision picking out several pairs of eyes in the darkness, eyes he didn't recognize. They were waiting for something.

Roxas turned his attention back to the border when he heard growling, the red wolf at his side calling out, "It's alright! He helped us, he shared his hunt."

The red wolf who had been growling at him stopped, pawing at the ground restlessly. Roxas lowered his ears slightly towards the older, larger male. "Who is he?" the red wolf asked, looking to Kairi for an answer.

"Roxas," the tawny wolf replied, "I'm passing through the mountains heading west."

"Do they know you're on their land?" the other wolf asked, a surprised look in his eyes.

Roxas nodded slowly. "They offered me shelter for the night."

"He caught one of their goats," Kairi added, looking up at the newcomer, "and he told their guards we'd gone a different way when they were chasing us."

The older wolf snorted, eyeing Roxas warily, but then said, "Axel will want to see you."

"Wakka, wait!" Kairi called, following after the other wolf as he walked over to a few of his clan mates, talking to them quietly for a moment, their eyes looking up and over at Roxas. One of them nodded to the large red wolf then turned and walked back into the woods. Vanille was there a moment later, her alpha at her side. She was talking hurriedly to Axel in a hushed tone, the alpha listening to her intently, his bright green eyes picking Roxas out from across the border. He watched the golden wolf for a moment then turned his eyes to Kairi, the small red wolf trotting over to him and rubbing her cheek against his affectionately. The two female wolves stood together talking to Axel for a moment then nodded and ran off into the woods, disappearing out of sight. The red alpha looked over to Roxas then took a step forward, his ears pivoted towards the younger wolf curiously. He looked as if he had something to say, stopping with one foot across the border, waiting for Roxas to meet him the rest of the way.

He stepped forward, his movements hesitant as he neared the border between the two clan's territories. He heard the other wolf exhale, Axel's eyes on him as he spoke, "My little sister says that you helped her and Vanille get away from Paine and a couple of her soldiers."

Roxas nodded. "I didn't want them to get killed just because they were hungry."

Axel eyed him for a moment then nodded. "Vanille mentioned you knew a bit about our…situation."

The tawny wolf couldn't help the irritated growl burning in the back of his throat. "Do you realize your clan is starving, and your pride could easily wind up getting them killed?"

The red wolf's fur bristled at his words, Roxas' pulse rising but his feet rooted to the ground. "What do you know about an alpha's pride, little rogue?" Axel asked coldly, "You know nothing of me, or my clan."

"I know that even though I was a stranger you let me pass, and just as you showed me mercy so did Zack." Roxas bared his teeth, his tail lashing the air. "He offered me refuge and permission to hunt. In my eyes you and he are not so different, or else you would have attacked me the last time we met."

Axel growled back at the smaller wolf, taking a step forward, his massive paws crushing the leaves beneath him. "You think I am like the other alpha? You are mistaken. He has brought this war to us, bathed our woods with bloodshed. You know _nothing_ , outsider."

Roxas took a step back, letting the growl fade from his chest. "You think Zack started a war with you?" He shook his head, forcing himself not to flash his fangs angrily. "They think you're invading their land! If you would tell him about what is happening, that all your clan is trying to do is feed themselves, I doubt there wouldn't be a fight to begin with!" He looked up at the red wolf, holding steadfast under the older male's icy glare. "If you would lay down your pride and just admit to him that you need his help to run the humans off your pack might not be fighting over scraps of squirrel and rabbit!"

Angry howls and battle cries sounded from Roxas' back, Vincent and Paine shouting back and forth as the mountain wolf clan gathered at the border, the two guards ordering their fighters to stand their ground as their alpha made his way to the front of the line. Roxas turned to look at the dark alpha, violet eyes watching him intently. The tawny wolf looked between him and the red alpha, suddenly realizing he was caught between a wall of red and black.

"Axel," the black wolf greeted casually, "It seems your clan couldn't wait until morning to continue our little discrepancy."

"Where is my sister, Zack." The red alpha barked, taking a full step across the border towards the other wolf. Roxas backed away a few steps, looking over his shoulder at the black alpha near his flank, then back to the red alpha in front of him.

"Where are the others who were trespassing on our land?" the other alpha countered smoothly, "I see that despite suggestions that they were headed towards the border, they are nowhere to be found."

At that Roxas looked back at him, then over his shoulder at Paine. The female wolf was standing with Vincent, two pairs of red eyes watching him suspiciously. He hesitated for a moment as he looked back up at Zack then said, "They are just children, they meant no harm."

"You're beginning to sound like Axel," the darker wolf replied, flashing his fangs, "Perhaps it wasn't wise of me to allow you into our territory so quickly." He took a step forward, Roxas taking a step to the side warily, "I thought I had a grasped a fairly good understanding of your character from our brief interaction. It seems I was wrong."

Axel moved between them before Roxas could think to react, the red alpha pushing him back towards their side of the border with his strong, muscled shoulder. "He has nothing to do with this. He was merely trying to prevent unnecessary bloodshed."

Zack bared his teeth, growling low in his throat. "I grow tired of this game, and your excuses. Your sisters and their little friend were practically in our den trying to steal our kill from us. Meat that our hunters had gathered together for their pack-mates, meat that our women and children had prepared by hand…out of the protection of their wolf forms. Someone could have easily been killed had your wolves decided to attack while our defenses were down in the comfort of our own den. The act of coming into another pack's den out of the moonlight, when we allow ourselves to rest and have our guard down…" His violet eyes flashed angrily. "This is unforgiveable; one of the strongest taboos there is to break. It is an insult to the ways of the moonwalkers. All wolves know the laws of the moon, and all know to follow them. Why is it, that because you say they are…children…that they are somehow immune to these absolutes? These are things we are taught in our earliest stages of childhood. These are laws that every wolf knows." He stepped forward once more; fur bristled down his back menacingly. "I will not stand for it."

"Tell him, Axel," Roxas said softly, the red alpha's ears twitching towards him angrily, "tell him what is happening, before the two of you begin something that cannot be ended without one of your clans losing their alpha."

"Stay out of this…" the red wolf said through gritted fangs, pushing Roxas back roughly, "You are not a part of this war."

A running wolf burst out of the woods behind them, growing fiercely and leaping across the border, tackling a black wolf to the ground with a running leap and tossing them roughly against a tree trunk. The black wolf cried out as its head cracked back against the tree, slumping down into a heap of fur on the cold ground, the red wolf that had attacked turning towards the two alpha's with fiery eyes. "What are you waiting for, Axel? Attack him!"

"Lightning, wait!" a voice called, Kairi and Vanille running out of the woods a moment later, skidding to a halt at the border.

" _Enough!_ " The red wolf cried out, her pale pink fur standing on end, her jaws open to reveal her razor sharp fangs. "You stand there as if Serah meant nothing to you! If you will not lead this pack to war to reclaim our little sister, then I will!" She turned towards the guards of the mountain wolf clan and leapt once again, Paine growling and rising to meet her challenge.

"I should have known you would be the first to attack you arrogant bitch!" Paine growled out, scuffling with the pale red wolf, the rest of her clan quick to follow. It seemed like a slow-motion chain reaction; as the black wolves raced forward so did the red wolves, each finding their intended opponent and attacking with claws, fangs, and trashing limbs. Roxas watched, shocked at what had just happened, before movement forced his eyes back to the two opposing alphas before him.

Zack moved towards Axel in a flurry of midnight fur, the red alpha snapping his fangs and moving to counter the other alpha's attack, Roxas darting to the side to avoid their frenzied attacks. He watched for a moment, helpless, unable to force himself to move. All he could think about was his pack, the pack he had left behind, the broken family he had lost, and now the broken family that danced the steps of war before him. He could feel the quicksilver in his veins slowly beginning to move, his heartbeat quickening, his breathing increasing into harsh panting. He had to do something; he couldn't let them fight one another. He couldn't just stand here and let someone else get killed. He couldn't…

A scream sounded out of the mass of writing wolves, Roxas' heart jumping as he recognized the voice. _Yuffie…_ He raced forward, leaving the two alphas to battle out their differences, jumping over bloodied red wolves and wounded black wolves, darting around a large cluster of trees until he saw what he had been searching for. Yuffie was here, lying on the ground beneath the pale red wolf that had attacked Paine before, Lightning. She had one of Yuffie's legs crushed between her jowls, the smaller black wolf letting out a small yip again and twisting her neck around until she could bite the older female's shoulder. She clamped down hard, Lightning growling and snapping Yuffie's leg with a loud crunch in retaliation, the younger wolf crying out and throwing the red wolf off of her with a burst of adrenaline, taking a defensive stance as she elevated her broken left leg.

Lightning snarled at the younger wolf, a grin twisting her muzzle, "Little wolves should know better than to attack a clan guard when they have no chance of winning."

"Guards are supposed to protect people, not abuse their power the way you do." Yuffie barked, growling at the other wolf. "Attacking our guards unprovoked, throwing around your weight, and speaking up when only your brother should be making decisions for your clan…" She tossed her head to the side, howling, "You're nothing but a wannabe power hungry tyrant!" Yuffie limped backwards a step, careful not to shift her weight onto her injury as she moved. "Thank the moon you will never be alpha. You don't deserve to have such a revered status among wolves."

"You insolent little brat!" Lightning snarled, clawing at the ground violently, "I will not spare you, just as your brother has not spared my sister!"

Roxas raced forward as Lightning rushed Yuffie. The black wolf didn't have the strength to run, even if her leg hadn't been broken, and he could tell that the red wolf wasn't going to back down now. Yuffie braced herself for the attack but it wasn't what she had been expecting, and she was quickly tossed to the ground with the red wolf on top of her, Lightning biting into her neck and shoulder angrily. Yuffie's scream pierced through the woods sharp and loud, Roxas growling and head-butting the red wolf's shoulder, quickly throwing her off of the smaller wolf and across the leaf-littered forest floor. Lightning was back on her feet in an instant, snarling at the golden wolf before her threateningly, Roxas taking his place over Yuffie protectively. The two wolves stared one another down, Roxas' heartbeat deafening in his ears, quicksilver burning in his veins, threatening to overflow. Yuffie whimpered beneath him, blue eyes looking down to her and widening in shock. The small wolf had not been able to hold her form after the last attack, her body now that of a small, pale human girl with ink black hair. Her head was still tilted to the side, her neck and shoulder bleeding profusely. An attack at the pressure point between neck and shoulder, that was nearly as taboo as trespassing into another clan's den uninvited. Roxas could feel the moon fire burning within him as he turned his eyes towards Lightning, his blue irises swirling with mercury until they were a brilliant sterling silver.

"You will pay for what you have done." He said, taking a step forward towards the red wolf, the female watching him with wide teal eyes.

"Silver? Your eyes are turning…silver…"

Roxas took a step forward, the ground soft as clouds beneath his feet. He knocked the red wolf back once with a running leap, making contact with his shoulder. He barely even felt it, but he hit the other wolf so hard he could feel her bones cracking. As she flew back he hit her again to the side, throwing her into a large boulder. Another series of crunches followed. The golden wolf stepped forward, silver eyes burning, his steps light and exact. He heard her shoulder pop as he bit into it, lifting her and throwing her yet again through the woods until she rolled down a hill towards the edge of a rushing river. She came to rest by a row of stones lining the rushing waters. They were deep into the red wolves territory here, Roxas remembering the river that had been mentioned before. When Lightning made no move to get up he chose not to follow her down the incline, instead he turned back towards the way they'd come from, backtracking to Yuffie's limp body. She was still bleeding, unconscious and sprawled naked against the unforgiving ground. He knew couldn't just leave her there.

Roxas took in a deep breath, willing the moon shining inside of him to settle back into darkness. The quicksilver in his veins slowed back down to a lazy throbbing, his lunar adrenaline returning to lay dormant in the back of his mind until he needed to call upon it again. The silver faded from his eyes and he allowed himself to relax into his human form, crouching down to scoop up Yuffie in his arms and hold her against his chest protectively. He knew from past experiences that girls didn't like being seen out of their wolf forms without clothing, but he wasn't exactly in the position to accommodate that sense of modesty. He was more concerned about getting her bleeding to stop as soon as possible. She was looking much too pale, and her skin was getting dangerously cold. He knew that he could heal her, but he needed to have her in a sheltered environment off of the battlefield. Using his quicksilver to heal someone not of his clan would be draining, and he couldn't risk doing it out in the open on a battlefield.

The boy hoisted the girl a bit higher in his arms, walking on bare human feet towards the west and across the border. They were further south than the fight, and he was wise enough to skirt the edges of the den once they arrived. He could sense that some of the wolves had stayed behind to guard the keep. He wasn't interested in taking her there. He make his way slowly to the caves Yuffie had shown him before, the caves where he had been given permission to take shelter during his stay. It was secluded enough here that he felt he could heal her without being interrupted, or noticed for that matter.

In all honesty, he wasn't sure if he wanted anyone to witness him healing the other wolf. Being blessed by the moon wasn't something that was common in any part of the world. He didn't know how these other clans would react if they found out he possessed the quicksilver of an alpha's sentinel. It didn't seem like there were any sentinels in either of the two clans, just members who were guards, hunters, and pack-mates. Those who fought always seemed to have open wounds from the previous battle. They had no healers of their own. Having the gift of quicksilver was both a blessing and a curse. He was a powerful fighter; swift, inventive, unpredictable. He was also able to heal using the same powers that helped him to fight. He was both a guard and a healer in one. He had been his alpha's sentinel, his personal guard. He had always been at his alpha's side, there to protect him. Until the one time that Cloud had needed him the most…

Roxas pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. Whether someone found him healing her or not, if he was going to do something he had to do it now. He walked into one of the outer caves, a hovel with the remnants of a campfire coming into view as his night vision kicked in. Yuffie's lips were turning blue, her fingers cold as ice as Roxas lay her down atop some furs in the back of the cave. Undoubtedly the rogue that had stayed here before had been an overzealous hunter, the furs belonged to moose, mountain goat, and he believed one of the larger to be that of a bear. He pulled one of the furs on top of her and covered her, carefully maneuvering her so that she was wrapped up in warmth except for the wound on her neck. The boy gently moved her head to the side and took a deep breath. The quicksilver moved inside of him again, but instead of the fire he had felt before this time it was a gentle warmth spreading throughout his body. It flowed down his arms like warm water and centered itself in his palms and fingertips. He spread his fingers, feeling the heat gathering there, silver threading up his temples and cheeks to gather in his eyes and turn them once again to silver. In his human form the quicksilver took on a different appearance. Silver swirls etched themselves across his skin, runes of power that marked him as being blessed by the moon. In his wolf form they weren't visible, buried beneath his thick golden fur.

He crouched down beside her shoulder, moving his palms across her body without touching her, willing the moon shining within him to hear his heart's call and allow him to channel the quicksilver into her and heal her wounds. The lunar soul seemed to hear his cry, for he felt the light within him shift to comply with his will, and soft swirls of silver light slowly began to form on Yuffie's neck and shoulder, willing her skin to piece itself back together again. Her bleeding slowed to a minimum, the bones in her collar and shoulder moving back into place as he channeled energy into her. He moved one of his arms out across her chest to her other shoulder and arm, willing the broken bones there to rejoin once more. The silver swirls followed his palms across her skin, swarming like tiny silver fish when they found an injury, healing the wound and then dispersing into larger rolling waves of soft silver light once the injury had been fully healed. Roxas moved from her mended arm back to her neck and shoulder. This was one of the hardest places to heal, so close to her brain, spine, and heart. There were so many things that routed through the main veins in her neck and shoulder that some damage could be permanent if not healed correctly, and Yuffie had already lost a lot of blood.

The boy concentrated, feeling the effects of his healing beginning to take toll on his body. His hands started shaking lightly, his throat going dry and his head beginning to ache. He more energy he channeled into the small girl the more flushed she became, the sickly pale color that had taken over her skin slowly returning to a normal, slight tanned color. When finally her breathing was soft yet steady, and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully, only then did Roxas withdraw his hands from her body and allow the quicksilver to fall dormant inside his veins. He felt light headed, pressing his hands against the cool stone of the cave floor and allowing himself to relax. Healing the girl had been a bit harder than he had expected, but he felt a small sense of accomplishment that he had been able to achieve what he had set his mind to.

Grabbing one of the furs from atop the pile closest to Yuffie he curled up beside her, watching her sleep peacefully. The guardian lunar soul inside of him that granted him his quicksilver abilities seemed contented at his actions. He was, after all, born to be a protector. That was his sole purpose in life. Now that his alpha, the one person he had been taught his entire life to protect was now dead, he had no set purpose. But somehow, defending and then healing the cheerful, friendly girl who had been so kind to him before seemed like the only right thing to do. It came so natural to him, to defend those weaker than himself. Perhaps once he reached his destination to the west he would something new to protect.

Yuffie shifted in her sleep, the silver swirls on her shoulder and arm slowly churning as they sealed in the quicksilver Roxas has used to heal her, then silently faded away. Roxas watched her a bit longer until he heard something, his ears twisting towards the sound of paw-prints at the mouth of the cave. The golden wolf moved forward, donning his wolf form in a matter of seconds, his pulse pounding in his ears. He didn't have much energy left, and he wouldn't be able to hold his wolf form through much more than a simple chat, but he couldn't let anyone near Yuffie while she was recovering. Not after everything he had done to keep her alive.

He stood on all fours menacingly, planting himself at the small human's feet and hiding her in his shadow. Despite the fact that she was out of sight the smell of fresh blood still lingered in the air. There was a trail of it leading from the mouth of the cave towards their resting place from where he had carried her to safety, and the furs Yuffie was laying on were undoubtedly covered in her blood as well. The approaching wolf took another step into the cave, Roxas instantly recognized Vincent, the black wolf noticing him after a moment and growling softly in the back of his throat. Roxas bared his fangs in turn, growling low and twisting his ears backwards defensively. He was sure the head of the guard wasn't exactly happy to see him on their territory yet again after the little confrontation he'd had with Paine and Zack.

They stood there sizing one another up for a moment before Vincent suddenly stopped growling, turning to look over his shoulder and replying to a voice Roxas hadn't heard. "I haven't seen her yet, but this is definitely her blood."

Zack was at Vincent's side a moment later, violet eyes looking over at Roxas in surprise. He acted as if he wanted to say something, but stopped himself and sniffed the air. "She's been wounded, but she's not bleeding anymore… I can sense her heartbeat." He stepped forward into the cave, Roxas backing up a step over Yuffie's fragile body, Zack watching him closely. "What has happened? Why is she…" The alpha instantly noticed the small girl shadowed beneath Roxas protectively, Zack searching the younger wolf's eyes and saying softly, "I'm not here to fight. Please, I just want to see my sister."

Roxas searched Zack's eyes for a long moment then looked over at Vincent who was still standing near the entrance of the cave. Zack noticed his hesitation, then said to his guard, "Vincent, you're to make no move unless I say so, is that understood?"

The large black wolf nodded respectfully, his large bushy tail swaying behind him as he watched their interaction from a distance.

"Please," Zack asked softly to Roxas once more, "Let me see my sister?"

Roxas nodded, stepping aside, watching as Zack released his wolf form and knelt down beside the sleeping girl, his hands gently flitting over her neck and wrist to check her vitals. Roxas watched the older boy for a moment before sighing and allowing himself to fall out of wolf form again, grabbing the fur he had wrapped around himself before and pulling it across his bare waist. Zack sighed in relief once he'd thoroughly looked over his sister, his fingertips brushing against her neck gently, keen eyes picking out the faint silver swirls still moving against her skin. He blinked, refocusing his gaze and finding the silver marks again. The runes had faded from skin-level and seemed to be glowing faintly from within her, undoubtedly focused on finalizing some internal healing deep inside his sister's body. The dark haired boy glanced over at Roxas, the blonde looking back at him with tired eyes. The two didn't say anything for a long moment, then Zack smiled softly, and said simply, "Thank you…"

"Roxas," he replied sleepily, realizing he had never actually told the dark alpha his name, "My name is Roxas." Sensing that Zack was not about to let anything happen to him in light of what he had done for Yuffie, he allowed himself to relax, exhaustion quickly catching up with him as his adrenaline faded. He curled up beneath the fur, laying his head on his arm drowsily and watching the other boy with half-lidded eyes.

Zack nodded to him, a soft appreciation shining in his violet eyes. "Thank you, Roxas."

The younger boy was asleep before Zack could finish his sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unable to put his true nature aside and stay out of the battle, Roxas has placed himself exactly where he didn't want to be. What will happen to him now that he has become a part of the war between the red and black alphas?
> 
> Will Zack shelter him, knowing that the young rogue saved his sister?  
> What will happen when Axel finds out Roxas attacked Lightning?  
> Will the red clan be able to rescue their alpha's precious little sister, Serah?  
> The war between the two clans continues…
> 
> And what of the menace lurking just outside the wolves' territory? The human city known as Kotonia, sheltered in a natural canyon near the base of the mountains to the south. Will Roxas be able to stop the war and unite the clans to fight back against the humans invading their lands?
> 
> Find out more next time, as Roxas' journey continues.  
> More Quicksilver to come!


	3. Recovery

Roxas awoke to the gentle sway of movement, blinking and spreading his fingers against the warmth pressed against his shoulder and side, slowly realizing he was being carried. He shifted, gasping softly and pushing away from that warmth, but exhaustion washed over him, and he closed his eyes once more, going limp in the other boy's arms.

Vincent looked down at the younger boy, glancing over at Zack who was walking at his side with Yuffie cradled in his arms protectively. He knew better than to question the other wolf; he knew well the look in his alpha's eyes when he had told the guard to bring the young rogue into their den. It was not up for discussion, no matter how strongly the guard might like to point out how dangerous bringing a complete stranger into their inner sanctum might be. Vincent and Paine were two of the only wolves allowed to ever voice their opinions of their leader's decisions, but this was not something he would be allowed to question. He was to follow Zack's final word on this with unwavering loyalty and support. He looked back to the boy in his arms, sighing silently. He had a feeling that this was not going to go over well with the other members of the clan, and it would be up to him and his sister to keep the peace while Zack allowed this little rogue to seek shelter among them.

As they neared the den Zack went ahead, several girls coming to greet him, taking Yuffie from him carefully and carrying her into the mouth of a large fire-lit cave with hushed whispers and backward glances at the bundle in Vincent's arms. Zack turned to the guard, padding over to him with soft steps across smooth rock, looking at the blonde boy with mixed emotions swirling in his violet eyes. "Do you think it's possible?" he asked, eyes meeting his clan mate's. "The elders used to tell us stories when we were children, of those who were blessed by the moon."

Vincent shook his head lightly, "I have never heard of a clan alpha actually having a lunar soul guardian before. The stories we have heard, but stories are all they ever were."

"I know what I saw, Vincent…" Zack said softly, eyes moving to look over Roxas once more. "Silver crescents swirling under Yuffie's skin, as if the moon itself was dancing within her flesh and blood…"

Vincent watched his alpha for a long moment before howling caught his attention. "I need to go back to the border. It would seem the red wolves aren't finished with us quite yet."

Zack nodded, reaching out and taking the smaller boy from the other wolf's arms. "I'll keep watch here. Go do what you can with the others. I'll join you as soon as I finish speaking with Rinoa."

Vincent nodded, turning towards the woods and shifting into his wolf form before taking off in a run to join the fight. The alpha watched him until he was out of sight, then lifted Roxas a bit higher in his arms and turned towards the den, walking into the cave lit with orange firelight. Several wolves greeted him, surprise and curiosity passing between them as he walked past, heading towards the center of the den. Xaldin was standing by a large bonfire warming the inner cavern, the older boy uncrossing his arms and taking a step forward to meet the alpha. "Zack, I saw the girls bring in Yuffie. What happened? Is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure what happened, but everything is fine." The other boy replied, "This boy saved her."

"He's the rogue from before?" Xaldin asked, dark eyes looking over the tawny boy's lean frame.

"His name is Roxas." Zack replied. "He is under our protection from now on."

Xaldin, sensing the seriousness in the other wolf's voice, did not let the objection he was about to voice escape his throat. He swallowed uneasily, and then asked softly, "And Rinoa?"

"We shall see." The violet eyed boy replied, walking past the taller wolf and around the bonfire, walking slowly to where his sisters were laying atop of a pile of lush furs. Yuffie was barely awake, blinking up at another girl with long black hair and whispering something. The older girl stroked her hair gently and nodded to her, Yuffie closing her eyes and falling back asleep. The older girl looked up at Zack, her soft violet eyes smiling up at him.

"So you've rescued a stray, have you dear brother?" Her tone was lighter than he had expected it to be, there was no strain or held back anger in her question. It was more like silent acceptance, a gentle grin twisting her lips.

"His compassion will get him into trouble one day." A deeper female voice said, a tall girl in a fur-lined dress walking out of the shadows towards the siblings, Rinoa looking over at her with a soft laugh.

"As if we should expect any different, Lulu." She replied, looking once more to Zack with affection shining in her eyes. "We all know how prone he is to thinking with his heart, instead of his head."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," the older girl replied, sitting down beside her and pressing her shoulder against the other girl's, "After all, it is one of the reasons we love our alpha so much."

Rinoa laughed softly again, then pressed a hand to her chest and coughed roughly, covering her mouth with her hand as Lulu rubbed her back, concern crossing the older girl's face. Zack sighed and walked over to them, sitting down near Rinoa's feet and cradling Roxas in his arms. "This is the boy who saved her."

Rinoa's breathing returned to normal after a few more coughs, the girl leaning forward and peering down at the boy in her brother's arms, her long dark hair falling around her shoulders as she moved. "He's so young. She said his name is Roxas?" Zack nodded, watching his sister inspect the new arrival with curious eyes. "His hair is such an odd color. Do you know where he comes from, or why he is here?"

Zack's response was interrupted as a small girl came running from the back of the cave, calling in a worried tone, "Lulu, she is asking for you. She says that she's in pain again."

The older girl lifted herself to her feet and followed after the child walking further into the den, turning to look back at Zack as she said, "Tifa is hurt worse than we thought. I've dressed her wounds and given her herbs but she doesn't seem to be healing…"

"I'll be right there," the alpha replied, laying Roxas down beside Yuffie, eyes glancing up to Rinoa. "Watch after them."

The girl nodded, smiling gently. "You know I will."

Violet eyes watched her for a long moment, soft violet mirroring his own, before he followed after Lulu into darkness. Rinoa listened as his their footsteps faded, the crackle of the fire and Yuffie's soft breathing filling the air. The girl watched her little sister sleep for a moment then allowed her gaze to wander over the rogue's sleeping face. This strange newcomer had somehow managed to save Yuffie from Lightning, a wolf that was nearly twice his size, many seasons older, and a trained guard in a clan of vicious fighters…yet somehow they had both managed to escape without a single scratch. Something was missing from Yuffie's whispered words, something that she didn't know of. She was sure of it.

Zack followed after Lulu to the back of the cave where a small stream trickled down the face of the rock and flowed languidly across the cave floor, faintly glowing mushrooms casting an eerie blue glow on a few small girls huddling over a shifting bundle of furs. "It hurts, please…I can't stand it anymore…"

The older girl went down to her knees beside her whimpering clan mate, Zack arching his brow worriedly and kneeling beside his sister. "Tifa, it's Zack. I'm here…"

"Zack?" the girl wrapped in furs asked, her voice raspy and strained. "The others, they are all fighting, I should be with them…"

"You're not going anywhere," Lulu said sternly, picking through scattered piles of herbs and tossing them into a bowl made out of bone, crushing the ingredients together with a small stone and adding a bit of fresh water to the mix. "Here, let me put some more slave on your wounds. It will help with the pain."

Tifa rolled over slightly to look up at Lulu, her brown eyes shifting slowly over to Zack. Her face was cut deeply on one side, profound claw marks etched into her neck and exposed shoulder. One of her eyes was bloodshot, and her skin was turning purple around her wounds. "Why isn't she healing?" Zack asked in a worried whisper, the medicine woman looking over at him with a frown.

"She's not eating; when she tries it just makes her sick. You know how difficult it is for our bodies to heal with no nutrients or warmth in our system." She pulled back the furs a bit to reveal Tifa's shredded side and leg, gently spreading the herbs across her friend's injuries. "I can barely get her to choke down water."

"Will she get better?" Zack asked, glancing over and noticing the glaze passing over his sister's eyes as she faded into a restless sleep.

The older girl sighed silently, her words barely audible as she replied, "At this rate, she will only get worse. Then, once her body gives up completely, there will be nothing I can do to save her."

Zack knelt at his sister's side for a long moment, then rose to his feet and said over his shoulder as he walked back towards the fire, "Keep trying, Lulu. I have faith in you."

The girl watched him walk away before turning back to her charge, saying a silent prayer to the moon before patiently returning to applying salve to her clan mate's wounds. There was little more she could do at this point besides hope.

Rinoa lifted her head as she heard footsteps approaching, Zack walking towards her out of the shadows. He stood there staring at the fire for a while then took a deep breath and turned to his sister, sitting down beside her and crossing his arms around his knees, looking at the two sleeping wolves beside her. "I think he is a sentinel." He said to her softly, the girl's eyes going wide.

She watched him in disbelief for a moment, then when realizing he was serious, replied, "Do you even realize what you are saying, Zack? Sentinels? They do not exist. They are figments of fables and nothing more."

The boy looked away, eyes watching the fire as it slowly devoured its kindling, "When I found Yuffie she was lying in a pool of her own blood, but she was no longer bleeding. There were symbols under her skin, like the runes written on the moon scrolls." He clenched his hands around his knees. "If Roxas healed her, and he isn't a sentinel, then what would you have him be?"

"I would have him be nothing more than a wandering rogue, and you out of your mind with grief over our sister's misfortune." Rinoa said, a softness in her eyes. "I know how sick you must be over what Lightning did to Tifa, and then what she tried to do to Yuffie, but making up stories about legends being true isn't going to do any of us any good. We're at war now, Zack. Axel is not going to back down now. Not with Serah here."

"Is she still in the alcove?" Zack asked, eyes flitting over to two large boulders lying against one another on the farthest wall. Xaldin was pacing back and forth from watching the nook between the two stones to keeping an eye on the cave entrance, and then directing his gaze to Rinoa every now and then, the girl nodding to him contentedly.

"She hasn't moved since Xaldin cornered her. He said she doesn't look wounded, but she is scared and distressed." She looked up at Zack with questioning eyes. "What are you going to do? Wait until they march into our den to come retrieve her?"

"They'll never get that far," Xaldin whispered, his eyes on Rinoa, the two siblings looking over at the powerful hunter.

"Thank you, Xaldin." Rinoa said, nodding to him in appreciation. The older boy seemed to accept the acknowledgement with pleasure, shaking out his shoulders and flexing his muscles as he continued to keep watch.

Zack watched the other boy with a smile before turning to look at his sister once more. "Rinoa, I know you may not believe what I am telling you, but I know what I saw. If he is a sentinel, a rogue sentinel with no ties to an alpha…does that mean that another alpha could request the use of his powers?" The girl searched his eyes, violet meeting soft violet, the reflection of the fire dancing in her eyes. "If I could convince him to do so, do you think he could channel through me to heal Tifa?"

Rinoa sighed, eyes moving from her brother to look down at the sleeping boy at her side, his breathing slow and steady as he slept beside Yuffie. "If the legends are accurate, then a lone sentinel could essentially take requests from any alpha, so long as their intentions agreed with that of his lunar soul. If he healed Yuffie of his own accord he is probably prone to guardianship, protecting the weak, healing the sick; anything that would bring his light to shine brighter. It is possible then, with this mindset, that he would agree to heal Tifa as well." She reached out and brushed Roxas' golden spikes from his forehead, running her fingers through his hair gently. "But he is young, and his energy is easily drained when healing someone outside of his pack. He would have to draw his energy from the moon and channel it through you as to not exhaust his powers so easily. That is, if he is even capable of doing such a thing. It takes experience, and years of mastery, before sentinels are capable of channeling the moon with someone other than their alpha."

"But there is a chance it could work?" Zack asked.

Rinoa hesitated, and then nodded her head. "If the stories are true, then yes, there should be a chance he could heal her."

Zack watched the blonde boy sleeping with a sense of awe. Roxas…was he truly that powerful? A sentinel…a guardian healer, an alpha's personal guard, an unstoppable force empowered by the lunar gods themselves… He rose to his feet, walking past Xaldin who stopped pacing for a moment to watch him go.

"Returning to the front line?" the boy called as his alpha walked off towards the entrance to the den.

"As always," Zack called back to him, shifting into the form of a giant black wolf and racing off out of sight. Roxas would need to rest to recover his strength. In the meantime, perhaps he would be able to put the red alpha in his place.

-x-x-x-

Roxas opened his eyes slowly. Someone was there, stroking his hair gently, and there was a fire somewhere nearby, the musk of burning wood warm and comforting as he inhaled it deep into his lungs. When he shifted that hand pulled away, the tawny haired boy lifting himself up slightly and looking around, his eyes blurry with fatigue. "There now, no need to be alarmed." A soft female voice greeted his ears, a gentle hand placing itself on his shoulder. "Relax, you're amongst friends. Rest a bit more, your strength hasn't yet returned to you."

Roxas sighed, laying his head back down and blinking to clear his vision, rolling over slightly until he could see the bonfire nearby, and a tall, muscled boy several moons older than him pacing at the edge of his line of sight. He watched the other boy for a moment, the older wolf noticing his gaze and meeting his look with dark charcoal eyes but making no move to approach him. He simply paced back and forth as if waiting for something to happen, ever ready and ever present. A guardian hunter, left to watch the inner den while the rest of the fighters were off at battle. It was a noble task, a great responsibility. Roxas looked over his shoulder and noticed Yuffie was lying beside him, the girl resting peacefully, her back revealed from beneath one of the furs that covered her. He sighed softly, allowing himself to relax a bit, then looked up to meet soft violet colored irises, so akin to that of Zack's it was uncanny. "I'm Rinoa," the older girl offered, "I am sister to Zack, Yuffie, and Tifa."

Roxas closed his eyes briefly, trying to remember what had happened after Zack had appeared in the cave where he had been guarding Yuffie, but nothing came to him. "Where are we?" he asked softly, suddenly noticing how dry his throat was, and the piercing hunger throbbing in the pit of his stomach.

"You are in the heart of our den." Rinoa replied, reaching over and petting his hair once more. "Zack felt it was necessary, and after what Yuffie told me about you saving her life, I was in no position to argue."

Roxas looked over at the sleeping raven-haired girl beside him, his eyes watching her affectionately. "She was kind to me…"

The other wolf nodded, a small smile crossing her lips. "If only everyone shared your sentiment, there would never be another senseless battle again. But alas, it seems that you may be one of the few left in this world that still views the principles of the golden rule."

 _The Golden Rule_ … Roxas remembered that, somewhere in the back of his mind. _Do unto others what you would have them do unto you_ … Painful memories washed over him, Cloud's cheerful smile flashing through his scarred mind before fading back into the darkness within him. It had been one of their lessons, hadn't it? When he had first begun his training as a sentinel, and had first discovered the extent of his powers. " _Do what you would want others to do to you, Roxas. Nothing more, and nothing less. Remember, you have this ability because you were chosen to be a guardian of lost souls. You will heal more than just your alpha, more than just your clan mates; you will heal everyone around you with your light if you should choose to let them in…_ "

Roxas lifted himself up slowly, feeling the quicksilver in his veins willing him to get up, to find the strength to hunt and feed and regain the energy he needed to finish what he had started before. He had to stop Zack and Axel from fighting. That was the only thing he could think about, keeping the two clans from ripping one another's throats out… Rinoa braced him as he staggered, the girl looking over at the boy who was pacing the center of the den and calling, "Xaldin, bring us some meat and fruit, and a flask of honeyed milk, would you?" Roxas' eyes met hers, the girl smiling at him gently. "There's no need for you to wander about in the heat of battle to try and catch a meal. Stay here for now. Zack will return when things have calmed down a bit."

Roxas nodded, glancing over at her a second time, wondering to himself about her uncanny ability to sense what his thoughts were. The other wolf seemed friendly enough, her soft violet eyes warm and enchanting; her long black hair framing her pale, delicate frame in the colors of her clan. There was a series of dark cloth wrapped around her torso and waist to resemble that of a dress, fur wrapped around her legs to keep her warm in her human form, her bare feet buried beneath a couple of rabbit furs atop the pile they were laying on.

Xaldin returned a moment later carrying several baskets and a large flask, laying them down at the female wolf's feet and bowing respectfully. The girl reached out and touched his cheek. "Thank you, Xaldin."

The large wolf bowed his head once more and backed away, returning to his patrol across the center of the den. Rinoa picked up one of the baskets and lifted the cloth covering the contents inside, the peppery scent of spiced meat immediately filling the air. Roxas' stomach growled loudly, much to his embarrassment, Rinoa giggling softly and offering him the basket. "Take some, we have plenty. Eat your fill."

Roxas hesitated then took a large piece of the meat from the basket, crushing it between his fangs and devouring it hungrily, Rinoa watching him and pulling pears and apples from the other baskets, offering them to the boy who scarfed them down vigorously. He took two more pieces of meat and grabbed a handful of grapes from a large basket of assorted fruits before Rinoa revealed a basket of fluffy white and black loaves of bread. She picked up half a loaf of the rich, black colored bread, saying as she held it out to him, "Here, try this. It's from the human village beyond the mountain pass."

The blonde boy took it from her then sniffed at the black bread for a moment before taking a bite, closing his eyes and happily savoring the taste. He took another bite before directing his gaze to another loaf the girl had offered him.

"Lemon cake," she said, "It's sweet, and the white on top is a sugared frosting. It's a delicacy from the human bakery."

He took the yellow colored bread from her, and then bit into the soft crust. It was succulent and moist and seemed to melt in his mouth, his eyes wide as he looked over at her. "Humans made this?"

The girl nodded as she handed him the flask of honeyed milk, Roxas taking it from her and gulping down several mouthfuls. "The last time we went to scout their village we traded furs for some of their wares. The humans also make bread out of spiced pumpkin, and another type with blueberries inside. I still haven't been able to figure out exactly how to make them, but they taste delicious nonetheless."

Roxas swallowed down the rest of his honeyed milk and lemon bread happily, grabbing one last apple and then settling down against the furs, chewing and reveling in the energy rushing through his body. Every inch of his frame felt vibrant and alive; his senses overwhelming as his meal refreshed his power supplies and channeled energy into his reserves, his hyper-sensitive eyes, nose, and ears taking in all the sights, scents, and sounds around him. He instantly picked up on the strong scent of herbs somewhere nearby, it was barely noticeable under the strong burning smell of the logs on the fire, but he could hone in on it now that his strength had returned. He recognized the scent of those herbs; it brought back memories of the elderly medicine man in his clan before he had passed away. Perhaps this clan had a medicine man of their own, he thought to himself, before picking up on the sound of slow-moving water. "Is there a river in the back of the cave?" Roxas asked, Rinoa looking over at him in mild surprise.

"Well you are an unusual wolf, aren't you? Most never notice the sound of the water." She nodded towards the back of the cave, outside the reach of the firelight. "There is a small river near the furthest wall of the den. If you wish to bathe there is a small pool near the end of the stream. You'll find fresh clothes there as well, if you would like to feel a bit less…exposed."

Roxas shifted uneasily, suddenly realizing he was undressed in front of a female from another clan, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks. "Thank you," he said as he rose to his feet and stepped around the still sleeping Yuffie, making his way through the darkness to the back of the cave. There were a few girls upriver from him at a higher incline of the cave; it seemed that was where the herbal smell emanated from the strongest, perhaps that was where their herbalist mixed the brews and salves needed to help their wounded fighters heal. It was hard not having a healer amongst the members of the clan, and while having a wolf with the knowledge of medicine living among you was definitely beneficial, it was nothing in contrast to the powers that an actual healer possessed. Herbalists healed with their knowledge of nature, sentinels healed with the power of the moon. There was no comparison between the two.

Roxas sensed something was amiss as well, the fresh scent of blood was lingering in the air as if there were open wounds exposed to the air, but Roxas chose to wait on investigating the cave further. Right now all he wanted to do was wash the filth from his body, and wrap himself in clean linens. It had been weeks now since he had been able to walk in his human form amongst other wolves in like kind. He needed to take this rare opportunity to relax among them. There was no telling when he would next be able to have an encounter like this as he continued his travels westward.

The river was crisp and cool as he waded in, the water running around his waist languidly. He washed thoroughly but quickly, the dirt coating his hair and skin washed downstream and out the back of the cave as the river continued down the mountainside. He shook out his hair, a shudder passing through him as he stepped out of the water, drying himself with a series of twisting shakes much like he would have in his wolf form. He reached down to the nearby pile of linens and retrieved a pair of soft baggy pantaloons, the dark fabric swaying with his movements as he turned towards the other side of the cave, his eyes following the river upstream. The smell of blood was definitely there, Roxas hesitating a moment then starting towards it, ears searching for any signs of danger. He was deep within the heart of an unfamiliar clan, and he could very well be heading towards something he would later regret, but something seemed to call out to him, beckoning him closer. He had to find out what it was.

A soft blue light seemed to rise up from the far end of the cave as he approached, the tawny wolf realizing it was several clusters of tiny blue mushrooms illuminating the cave with pale light. There were several small girls there, whispering worriedly, crouched down beside a sleeping figure who reeked of bad blood and herbs. An older woman sat watchfully nearby, mixing a salve absently, her eyes never leaving the wounded girl. Roxas stood there for a long while before she noticed him, piercing red eyes looking over at him defensively. "Who are you," she said, her voice deeper that he had expected it to be, "What do you want."

One of the younger girls whispered softly, "That's the wolf Zack brought in earlier."

"He's the one who helped Yuffie," another girl added, the two girls looking over at Roxas with curious eyes.

The older girl thought to herself for a moment, and then sighed. "You were asleep before. With Rinoa."

Roxas nodded, eyes moving back to the girl who was lying on a bundle of furs, covered in blood and herbs. "What happened to her?"

The woman sighed, returning to mixing her salve. "Lightning attacked her. Tifa fought back, of course, but that girl has a fierce power most of us aren't accustomed to fighting against. Needless to say, Tifa lost."

"Tifa…" Roxas whispered softly, kneeling down and looking the girl over. Tifa was Zack's sister, right? When he had first stumbled upon Axel and Zack, the black alpha had run off to go see his sister. The tawny wolf looked down at the girl, blue eyes flitting from her shoulder to her leg. Her entire side was shredded, her neck and face badly cut, her breathing labored and shallow. "She's dying, isn't she?"

The smaller girls made soft gasps, looking between one another, then over at the medicine woman, who was gazing down at Tifa with sad eyes. "If she doesn't break out of this fever soon, then yes, I believe she will be."

"But Lulu…you can heal anyone." One of the girls sniffed, wiping her eyes, the girl beside her holding her arm and crying. "Isn't there something you can do to fix her?"

Lulu smiled softly. "I'm sorry little one. I am not blessed as a true healer. There is only so much I can do."

Roxas could already feel the quicksilver begin to flow through his veins, the blonde boy gritting his teeth and fighting his every instinct to heal this wounded girl. He had just healed Yuffie, and while he felt like he could heal an entire pack at his current stamina level, he knew in reality that as soon as he began to heal her it would drain him. Sentinels were trained to heal the members of their clan, not the members of others. While he knew it was possible to heal outsiders, he still wasn't the best at it. He needed a medium to channel through to reach the moon and heal another wolf, and when it wasn't a member of his own clan he had no alpha to channel through. But now that his alpha wasn't there to help him channel the moon anymore, he supposed he could give it a shot… He swallowed, pushing back the sudden sting of tears at the corners of his eyes. He felt utterly alone, but he knew no matter what he had to follow his lunar soul. And his quicksilver was running hot in his veins, willing him to heal the fallen wolf before him.

He turned to Lulu, asking softly, "If I could bring her back from the brink, could you watch over her until Zack returns?"

The older girl eyed him curiously then nodded. "If she would only stabilize, I would be able to manage her fine. Her natural regeneration would heal her for the most part. I would just help things along; watch for infection, make sure she could eat something and keep it down…"

The boy nodded, reaching over and touching Tifa's leg gently, summoning his powers to awaken inside of him. "That should be fine; I can finish healing her once your alpha returns as long as you make sure she will last until then."

"What are you…" Lulu began, but the question was interrupted by light pouring from Roxas' skin, his eyes turning silver and runes appearing across his chest and down his arms as his quicksilver rose to the surface. His hands hovered over Tifa's wounds, light appearing under her skin to mirror his movements, bones popping back into place and tendons reconnecting as skin pieced itself back together. She was hurt worse that he had realized, the adrenaline pumping through his veins quickly draining his energy, his lunar soul burning bright but sapping his strength. He moved to her neck and face, runes dancing across her skin, until finally Roxas broke away, breathing hard. Lulu was watching him with wide eyes, her hands trembling where she held her bowl of herbs. The small girls kneeling beside Tifa were smiling and whispering excitedly, looking down at the other girl with hopeful expressions.

The wounded girl groaned, opening her eyes slightly and blinking, looking up at Lulu, who reached down and brushed her hair away from her forehead. "Lulu?" she asked softly, coughing and cupping her hand over her face. "Water…"

The older girl reached over and picked up a flask, uncorking the pouch and offering it to her friend. The other girl brought the flask to her mouth and took a few small mouthfuls, pulling away a few moments later and coughing again. "How do you feel?" Lulu asked gently, taking back the flask and inspecting the girl's wounds, eyes flitting across the silver runes still visible under the surface of her skin.

"Mmm…sick…" Tifa replied softly, "Where's Zack?"

Roxas sighed, standing to his feet, wobbling ever-so-slightly before walking off towards the large bonfire in the middle of the cave. Lulu watched him go, her red eyes shining. "He can't be…there aren't any left…"

Rinoa turned and looked over her shoulder at the other wolf's approach, noticing Roxas was unsteady on his feet. "Are you alright?" she asked, the boy nodding and blinking tiredly.

"I'll be alright. Do you care if I grab another piece of meat?"

"Sure, go ahead." She replied, gesturing to the bowls from before, Roxas kneeling down and retrieving a large piece of spiced meat, and another apple. He ate them slowly, feeling a bit of his strength returning, his eyes wandering around the large domed room, looking over when he sensed another presence he'd yet to see. Rinoa followed his gaze, noticing that Roxas was staring at the alcove between the two boulders against the wall of the cave. "That's Serah, one of the sisters to the red alpha. She's what all of the fuss was about earlier."

"Why is she still here?" Roxas asked, looking over at the older girl who was stroking Yuffie's hair gently while the smaller wolf slept.

"She was caught trespassing. Xaldin cornered her. She hasn't spoken or moved since."

The tawny wolf took the last bite of his apple, chewing thoughtfully for a moment before he grabbed a pear and rose up, walking across the floor of the cave towards the boulders, Xaldin watching him with an intense, dark look. The hunter glanced over at Rinoa, who shook her head lightly. The tall, powerful wolf sighed heavily, but stood back and watched the younger wolf, making no move to intervene. Roxas reached out and pressed his hand against the smooth, cool stone, his eyes searching through the darkness of the alcove for the presence he felt. There was movement, a shuffling near the wall, scared indigo eyes shining out from the darkness as a young girl looked back at him, her shoulders trembling. "It's alright," Roxas said gently, "I'm not here to harm you." He held out his other hand, offering her the pear. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

The girl swallowed, her eyes staring at the pear in Roxas' hands, the girl reaching out slightly, the boy taking a step towards her. She instantly recoiled, pressing back against the wall, baring her teeth and growling. "Leave me alone…"

"And how do you expect to get out of here?" Roxas asked, still holding out the pear in offering as he took another step closer, disappearing into the shadows of the alcove alongside the red wolf. Xaldin took a few steps closer, watching, his ears picking up every word exchanged between the two younger wolves.

"My brother will come for me," the girl said, though her eyes held a worried expression.

"Wouldn't you rather just go to him?" Roxas asked softly, stopping before her, holding out the fruit and meeting her eyes.

The girl sniffed the air, her defensiveness fading as she caught his scent. "You're not from either of our clans… Who are you?"

"Do you want to go to your brother or not?" Roxas asked again, lifting the fruit a bit higher.

Serah hesitated, then reached out and took the pear from the blonde boy, her light pink hair pulled over one of her shoulders, her pale skin nearly luminescent in the darkness. She took several hungry bites before she glanced up at the other wolf again, her eyes curious and untrusting. "You think they'll just let me walk out of here? Xaldin will tear me apart…"

The hunter snorted, chuckling softly from outside of the alcove, Serah's eyes wide as she listened to the older wolf's movements. Roxas looked over his shoulder, then turned and peeked out of the alcove, looking first to Xaldin, then to Rinoa. "I want to take her back to her clan." He said, the dark-haired girl looking down at Yuffie, then to her hunter, giving him a nod. The large intimidating warrior took a few steps back from the entrance of the cave, leaving a large gap between the alcove, the bonfire, and the mouth of the den. Roxas stepped out of the alcove towards the fire, looking back into the shadows and holding his hand out for Serah. "Come on, I'm sure Axel's worried about you."

The red wolf didn't move for the first few moments, then took a few steps forward, cautiously sniffing the air and looking out of her shelter, eyes fearful as she spotted Xaldin. "If I run he could easily catch me…"

"I won't chase you, little one." Xaldin said, his voice echoing off of the cave walls. "Go back to your clan, and think twice before you enter our territory unwelcomed again."

Serah stepped past Roxas, her naked body shivering as she walked past the fire, careful never to take her eyes off of Xaldin until she was on the other side of the bonfire, Roxas walking behind her slowly. Rinoa called from across the den, "Go with her, Roxas. And bring Zack back with you when you return."

The blonde boy nodded, slipping off his pantaloons before turning to follow after the red wolf, feeling the change take over as he started running forward, donning the form of a tawny wolf as Serah shifted into her wolf form. Her fur was a rosy color, much like that of Lightning's. _Lightning…_ He would have to heal her as well, no doubt. He was sure he'd done some serious damage when he'd thrown her off of Yuffie. And since it appeared that neither of the two warring clans had any healers amongst them, it would fall to him to make sure that none of the wolves died when he could easily save them. The quicksilver within him burned like white fire in his chest, the tawny wolf running off across the hills and towards the forest with Serah at his side, searching among the snarling, snapping wolves for the red alpha. Serah sensed her brother before Roxas did, the small wolf letting out a long howl, several red wolves breaking away from their black counterparts to watch her approach.

Axel backed away from Zack; the two alphas turning towards the approaching wolves, surprise evident in the younger alpha's eyes. "Serah, how did you…" then he looked past her, noticing Roxas following a few paces behind her.

Zack backed away a few paces, standing shoulder to shoulder with the tawny wolf. Roxas looked over at him, meeting those intense violet eyes. "I didn't see any reason in keeping her trapped in the den like she was a prisoner," the younger wolf replied softly to the black alpha's gaze, Zack nodding at his words.

"Very well, what's done is done." His eyes flitted up to meet Axel's the red alpha speaking softly with his sister. After his sister had finished explaining what had happened, the red wolf lifted his head, meeting Zack's gaze. They stood there for a long time, and then finally Zack said, "I have my own sisters to tend to. Why not settle this another time?"

Axel nodded in agreement. "I see no reason to continue this now that Serah is back with her clan. Know that this isn't over, but we will respite for now." The two alphas held one another's eyes for a long moment, then Axel looked away, Serah whispering to him again while looking over at Roxas. The tawny wolf shifted uneasily on his paws, watching the two red wolves exchange a glance, and then Axel met his eyes. "Thank you for returning my sister to me."

Roxas nodded, his ears twisting towards the other wolf. Axel searched his eyes then looked away, turning his back to them and walking with his sister back into the depths of the forest. A long, low howl rumbled across the treetops, the red wolves pulling back into the forest, Zack lifting his head and returning the howl, several black wolves running out of the forest and back to their side of the border. As the mountain wolves returned to their den, Zack stood at Roxas' side, unmoving, the tawny wolf hyper aware of the older wolf's presence. The wind rustled through the leaves, leaving silence in its wake, and finally the dark wolf said, "Thank you…for healing Yuffie. She would have died if you hadn't saved her."

Roxas could feel his heartbeat pounding in his chest, a nervous feeling washing over him. Zack looked down at him, his violet eyes soft, a reverent expression shining from deep within them. The younger wolf looked away, glancing off towards the woods. After everything he'd done to keep his existence as a sentinel a secret… What had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The red wolves and the black wolves have stopped fighting, for now…
> 
> But there's still a lot of unresolved anger between the two clans, and Roxas has found himself trapped somewhere in the middle. When your guardian soul is telling you to help out on both sides, which side do you choose? Or do you stay neutral, despite the tensions it will create?
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	4. Medium

Roxas stood silent under Zack's watchful gaze, the tawny wolf tense and waiting. He knew he had to go find Lightning and heal her before the wolf succumbed to the injuries he had inflicted upon her, which meant he had to go back into the forest. He glanced over at the black alpha, and then said, "There's something I need to do."

Zack hesitated, an unasked question in his eyes, but then nodded. "When you return, come back to the den. I'm sure Yuffie will want to see you."

The tawny wolf turned and padded off towards the forest, saying over his shoulder, "I'll be back soon. I'll need your help to finish healing your other sister."

"Tifa?" he heard Zack whisper before the older wolf turned and ran off towards the den of the mountain wolves. Roxas went the opposite way, retracing his steps to where Lightning and Yuffie had struggled, then down a small incline towards the river nearby. The large, flat rocks at the river's edge were smeared with dark blood spatters, Roxas' keen eyes following the trail through the grass and deeper into the woods, the young wolf sniffing the air. He could tell the other girl was close. Had she gone back to her clan's den? He sensed the other wolves, but they seemed much further into the woods, and with her injuries he didn't think she would have made it that far. He continued to follow the trail of bloody paw prints through the underbrush, weaving around tree trunks and under fallen logs. The smell of blood was stronger near a grove of thick brambles, Roxas stepping carefully through the thorns and uncovering a small hidden nook between the trees. Lightning was there, curled in on herself, bleeding from several different points where he'd tossed her around before. He could see bones under her skin, jutting against the surface where they shouldn't be. She was having great difficulty breathing, but when she noticed the other wolf she growled fiercely, anger burning in her eyes. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth as she continued to growl, the red wolf holding back a series of rough coughs to try and maintain her tough façade.

"I'm here to help you." He said, taking a step forward, his tail swishing behind him.

"I don't need your help," the other wolf barked, cringing as she did so.

Roxas sighed. He'd been afraid of this. It was hard enough healing someone without having them fighting back against it. "One of your lungs is about to collapse. I can hear it in your breathing. When I threw you into that boulder it cracked the bones in your shoulder and ribs."

The red wolf growled again, wheezing and coughing after a moment, unable to keep her wolf form any longer. The rose-colored fur covering her form slowly faded into soft creamy skin, her teal eyes half closed as she gasped for air, her wavy light pink hair cascading down her shoulders. Roxas lifted his paw to take another step forward, when suddenly he heard something approaching from the woods behind him, ears pivoting to follow the movement, the tawny wolf turning to look over his back, readying himself to defend against an attack. The other wolf's scent caught his nose, Roxas sniffing the air and sighing in relief, watching as Axel appeared, the large red alpha trotting over to him, his ears alert and his eyes searching.

"My sister, have you seen my older sister, Lightning? No one has seen her; it's not like her to not come home…" Roxas tried to speak before Axel noticed his sibling, but the alpha looked over his shoulder, sniffing the air. "She's bleeding…"

"Axel, your sister…"

The red wolf stepped past his shoulder into the nook behind the brambles, Roxas following him, his stomach twisting. The red alpha immediately went to his older sister's side, fading into his human form and crouching down beside her. "Lightning! Lighting, talk to me. Who did this to you?"

The wounded girl looked up at her brother, and then looked directly over at the tawny wolf, glaring with her eyes. Roxas hesitated, and then walked over to the two, Axel looking up at him angrily as he approached. "I can explain…"

"You did this to my sister?" the older boy spat, growling, his fangs flashing even in his human form. His long hair was an intense fiery red, and eyes were the same vibrant green as they were in his wolf form, his gaze piercing through Roxas like daggers.

"She almost killed Yuffie." Roxas said, allowing himself to relax into his human skin, his blue eyes meeting Axel's green as he approached the siblings. "I came back to heal her. I knew I'd hurt her worse that I'd meant to."

"Heal her?" the alpha asked softly, watching the other boy with distrust in his eyes. Lightning continued to glare at the blonde boy as he knelt down beside her waist next to Axel.

"Yes," he said, looking up at the other boy, "But I'll need your help."

He reached over and took Axel's hand, the red alpha pulling out of the younger boy's grasp and looking at him questioningly. "What are you doing?"

Roxas sighed, his stomach twisting and his pulse rising. This was proving to be exceedingly frustrating. "Your sister is hurt badly. In order for me to heal her completely I'm going to need to use you as a medium to channel energy directly from the moon." Roxas looked up through the treetops, searching the night sky. It would be dawn soon; the stars were already beginning to fade. He looked back over at the other boy, saying softly, "She doesn't have much time, Axel. You're going to have to trust me."

Lightning was watching silently, clutching an arm around her waist, trembling slightly. The alpha looked down at his sister, and then held out his hand, offering it to Roxas. "Alright. Show me what to do."

"I have to find a focal point." The blonde boy said, taking Axel's hand and feeling the flows of the other wolf's energy. It directed him upwards, Roxas touching his upper arm, then shoulder, then looking into his eyes. "It's your mind, your lunar soul is tactical, ever-thinking; I'm going to have to touch your forehead to use you as a medium."

Axel shifted uneasily, "And then what?"

Roxas returned to the red-headed boy's hand, pressing his palm to the back of the alpha's hand and then guiding him to touch his sister's stomach. "Then together, we channel the moon into her. If everything goes the way it should, I'll be able to heal her…" _And not pass out afterwards…_ he added silently, remembering what had happened after he had healed Yuffie.

Green eyes looked him over, uncertainty evident in his thoughts. Roxas waited, knowing the other alpha didn't trust him, wondering what he could say to make the other wolf believe him. Lightning coughed roughly, spitting up blood, suddenly gasping in air and clutching her side as she cried out in pain. _I don't have time to wait on him to decide whether or not he's going to help me, she's going to stop breathing soon…_ The quicksilver within him swelled to the surface, runes lighting up across his skin, his blue eyes swirling until they were the color of liquid starlight. He reached out, his touch ghosting across Lightning's skin, pushing bones back into place, repairing muscles and torn ligaments, and replacing skin that had been torn away.

Axel watched the other boy with wide eyes, feeling something inside of him singing, burning, calling out to the other wolf. It was almost like his first moon after he had become an alpha, when the lunar soul had shined within him at its brightest, bestowing its light and protection. But this, this was something different. Something powerful, a rush of adrenaline washing through him unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He reached forward, pressing his hand to Lightning's side, Roxas turning to look at him with sterling silver eyes before laying his hand on top of Axel's and turning towards the other boy. He moved to wrap an arm around the older boy's shoulders, pulling him close, pressing their foreheads together to complete the channel. Blinding white light poured from Roxas' runes as they touched, the tawny wolf feeling that familiar twinge inside of him as Axel's soul melded with his. It was comforting, a sensation he'd never experienced with anyone but Cloud. How he longed to feel his alpha's soul burning alongside his…but he would never feel that presence again.

"Breathe slowly," Roxas whispered to the other boy, Axel taking a deep breath and exhaling, relaxing against the younger wolf, something within the two clicking and beginning to flow in sync. Roxas pulled back for just a moment, moving Axel's hand to another wound, then returned his forehead to press lightly against the other boy's, feeling his quicksilver enveloping the injury and quickly healing it to the fullest extent of his abilities. His, and Axel's.

"What are you?" Axel whispered to the blonde boy, Roxas looking over and meeting his curious eyes.

"I'm a sentinel," he replied softly, moving the alpha's hand yet again, seeking out Lightning's remaining injuries. The girl was breathing regularly again, her coughing had ceased, and she was lying against the soft grass watching the light swirling under her skin with amazement.

"A sentinel? Like the white wolves from the moon temple?" the older boy asked, his green eyes wide.

"No, the white wolves you're thinking of are spirit wolves." Roxas said, breathing deeply before he continued. "They can draw out the lunar soul in other wolves, and they can heal as well, but they are not sentinels. And as you've probably noticed, my coat is not white."

"Then what are you?"

The tawny wolf hesitated, and then said, "I am my alpha's personal guardian, and my clan's healer. I am blessed by the moon, chosen to protect my alpha. My lunar soul is that of a guard, and a healer. It shines brightest when I am fulfilling one of my appointed duties."

"Then…why aren't you with your alpha?" Axel asked softly, his eyes searching.

The blonde boy didn't reply for a long time, channeling the remainder of their combined energy into Lightning before Roxas' runes faded away, his eyes turning back to blue, pulling away from the other wolf. He met Axel's eyes briefly, and then softly replied, "Because my alpha is dead."

Lightning chose that exact moment to rise to her knees and shove the younger boy away from her, growling angrily and getting to her feet, Roxas looking up at her in surprise. "You insolent fool! How dare you attack a member of another clan's guard unprovoked!"

"You were going to _kill_ Yuffie," Roxas shot back, glaring up at the older girl and pushing himself up, "I wasn't just going to stand there and watch you rip her apart!"

Axel was immediately between them, pushing back his sister and holding his hand up to halt Roxas' step forward. "That's enough! Both of you calm down…"

"This isn't over." Lightning said, gritting her fangs as she morphed into her wolf form and ran out of the bramble, racing off through the woods and out of sight. Roxas stood to himself for a long moment, then sighed and shook out his shoulders, a shudder passing down his spine. He glanced over to see Axel was watching him, the red alpha seeming at a loss for words.

"I'm heading back now." Roxas said, turning his back to Axel. "Zack is expecting me."

"Your alpha… I'm sorry." The other wolf said softly. Roxas' shoulders tensed, an ominous wind passing through the boughs of the treetops above them before fading into silence. The blonde boy nodded to the other boy, taking the shape of a tawny wolf as he stepped forward and walked off towards the border, heading towards the mountains. He didn't want to hear that someone outside of his clan was sorry. The only person he really wanted to hear say they were sorry was his twin…and he knew that was never going to happen. Ventus… Roxas' tail lashed as the air violently at the mere thought of the other boy. He pushed down his anger, and pushed back the loneliness and despair creeping up on him at the thought of the alpha, the brother, and the clan that he had lost. He had business to attend to. Tifa needed to be healed properly, and that meant he was going to have to show Zack what he had just shown Axel, so the black alpha could help him heal Tifa. He paced himself as he made his way back through the thicket, past the river, and up the small incline to the border. As he stepped across Paine was there to greet him, the guard sniffing the air and cocking her ears at him. She looked at him questioningly but didn't verbalize her concerns; instead she went to his side, keeping a careful eye on him as the young wolf walked past several members of the mountain clan, then into the mouth of the den.

"Roxas!" a cheerful voice said, Yuffie running up to greet him. She was in her human form, a small black tunic wrapped around her petite form. The tawny wolf shook out his fur, and as he did so he let himself relax back into his human form, quickly finding the pantaloons he'd left behind earlier and shrugging them on, securing them around his waist. Yuffie watched him with a giggle, then looked over his shoulder to the guard who had escorted him in. "How was it, Paine?"

"Quiet," the older girl replied, Roxas looking over to see she was in her human skin as well, her ruby eyes shining out from behind short raven locks piled up like a wing atop of her head, "I think the red clan is done for the night."

"Good," Xaldin said, the hunter pacing back and forth between the fire and the entrance of the cave watchfully, "Maybe we'll be able to get some sleep during the day."

Roxas looked around, conscious of the eyes on him, looking past Xaldin to the furs where Rinoa and Yuffie had been before. The older girl wasn't sitting there, just a few small girls who were munching on bits of fruit and talking together quietly. "Where is Rinoa?" Roxas asked, looking over at Yuffie, "And Zack?"

"They're with Tifa," she replied, her hands clasped behind her back. "This way, come with me."

Roxas followed after her, though he already knew the way. The further they walked past the bonfire towards the river and the back of the cave, the more anxious he felt. He was feeling tired, and he wasn't sure how much healing he was going to be able to do without taking several long hours to sleep and let his lunar soul recover. With Zack helping him he should easily be able to heal Tifa, but there was always a bit of doubt in his mind. When he was with Cloud he knew the extent of his powers, but with other alpha's that wasn't so obvious. He couldn't tell when his quicksilver was about to run out. With Axel he had the fortune of having an overabundance of healing to give to Lightning. But with Tifa as sick as she had been, for as long as she had been… Her injuries on the inside from malnutrition alone would take a massive toll on his energies.

Yuffie looked back at him as they neared the area surrounded by faintly glowing blue mushrooms, several wolves crowded around Lulu and Tifa, including Zack and Rinoa. The long-haired girl patted her brother on the shoulder and whispered something, Zack looking up and meeting eyes with Roxas, an astonished expression across his face. He looked up at the other members of the clan surrounding them, and then said, "Give us a bit of privacy for now. I'll keep you updated on my sister's recovery."

Several wolves nodded, wandering off back towards the bonfire, a couple of girls touching Rinoa on the shoulder in a silent farewell before walking off down the side of the river, talking back and forth excitedly. Once the other wolves were gone, Lulu, Zack, Rinoa, and Yuffie were all that remained, four pairs of eyes staring up at Roxas as the tawny wolf looked down at Tifa. The girl was breathing alright for the most part, but something seemed off. It was almost as if the black wolf was too tired to breathe. Lulu seemed to notice too, reaching out and feeling the girl's cheek with the back of her hand. "Her fever is returning. I don't know if she can handle fighting a temperature again…"

"She won't have to," Roxas said softly, stepping over to Tifa's side and kneeling down beside the wounded girl, foggy brown eyes looking up at him in a daze. The blonde boy looked up, saying to Zack, "I'll need your help with this."

The alpha looked over at Rinoa, who nodded and touched his shoulder, the tall, dark-headed boy rising up and stepping over his wounded sister's legs to reach Roxas' side, sitting back down again. "What would you have me do?" he asked, violet eyes searching the younger boy's face.

Roxas reached out and took Zack's hand, searching for his focal point, following the energy through his palm and up his arm, then back further around to his shoulder blade. The other wolf was so much taller than Roxas the blonde boy couldn't reach, stopping short at his shoulder. _There's another way to do this…how did Cid teach me to channel in mirror formation…_ Roxas thought to himself long and hard for a moment, then suddenly memories bubbled to the surface of his days training his sentinel abilities. His teacher and once told him a way to reverse the flow, to have the alpha touch you instead of you touching the alpha. He blushed softly, remembering the first time Cloud had tried to channel through Roxas, instead of Roxas using Cloud as the medium. He shook off those memories, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before looking up at the older wolf.

"Your focal point is in your shoulder blade, something that I cannot reach given the differences in our size. Therefore, we're going to do the exact opposite, instead of me using your focal point, you're going to have to use me as a mirror, and channel through me where I would channel through you."

"My shoulder blade?" Zack asked, confusion in his voice.

Roxas nodded and replied, "It's because of your protective, defensive nature; your lunar soul is ever-watchful, ever present in case someone needs your help. You're a natural guardian."

Zack nodded, thinking about what Roxas had just said. "So then, if my point is my shoulder blade, and we need to make contact through that point, then…" He reached up, pressing his hand to Roxas' shoulder blade instead. "To mirror my focal point on you, I should hold my hand here, right?"

Roxas nodded in agreement, "Yes, that's exactly right. Then, lean forward, and with your other hand reach out and touch your sister."

Zack moved close, chest pressing against Roxas' back, the older boy's hand pressed gently against his shoulder blade as he leaded over the tawny wolf's shoulder and laid his hand on his sister's leg. Roxas moved to place his hand over Zack's, completing the link. Rinoa, Lulu, and Yuffie watched expectantly, Roxas taking a deep breath and willing his powers to rise once again to the surface, calling on the moon to heal the girl before him with the help of her alpha. Energy hit him like white hot lightning, Zack feeling the jolt as well and making a barely audible sound of surprise. Light spread across Roxas' skin, runes reappearing just as they had before, the white light flowing down his arm into his hand and then through Zack's hand, until it poured unhindered into Tifa. Roxas forced himself to breathe; he hadn't been prepared for the pure raw energy Zack possessed. It burned hard and fast, and almost too brightly, and Roxas realized if he didn't get it under control quickly the overexertion alone would drain him long before his quicksilver ran out.

Roxas cringed, the weight of Zack's lunar soul almost crushing the air from his lungs, his mind reeling. "Z-Zack, calm your thoughts. Your sister will be fine, but if you keep channeling through me the way you are now I'm not going to be able to maintain the flow for long…"

"Zack, relax…" Rinoa called, the alpha looking over at his sister, then down at Roxas, pulling back slightly and allowing the younger wolf to catch his breath.

"Sorry…" the older boy apologized, his violet eyes full of worry and uneasiness, "I'm not sure how to do this…"

Roxas tightened his hold on Zack's hand, moving it across Tifa's body to rest on her ribcage. "Just breathe, and relax; try to feel the moon inside of you, and inside of me." The blonde boy looked over his shoulder. "You can feel it, can't you?"

Zack took a deep, calming breath. He wanted his sister to get well so badly, he'd been forcing every ounce of will towards healing her. Apparently that wasn't how it worked, though. He couldn't force the moon through the other wolf, he couldn't control it the way Roxas could, he just had to let it flow out naturally… He refocused his will, looking down at Tifa, sending a silent prayer to the moon. _Please help her, please…_

Something inside of Roxas shifted, their lunar souls syncing, the blonde boy feeling a surge of renewed strength stretching out through his back and spine, down his arms and through Zack's hand to flow languidly into Tifa. Zack felt it too, his eyes closing slightly, his heart racing as he felt his powers twisting and coiling around Roxas'. It was an odd, intimate feeling that seemed almost invasive to the younger wolf, Zack able to read his thoughts as if they were his own. The blonde boy was reciting something softly in his mind, something Zack didn't understand, but he knew it was an ancient ritual held within the moon scrolls. Sentinels were said to have been trained by elders who possessed the scrolls. Maybe, wherever Roxas came from, he had been trained by a wise elder who had the great fortune of owning one of the blessed scrolls… Zack had been to the moon temple to the far north once in his lifetime, when he had become an alpha. There had been moon scrolls there, written in runes. Runes like the ones that marked Roxas' skin. Violet eyes flitted from Tifa's mending skin to Roxas' glowing runes. This young wolf was so powerful, so mysterious. And so alone. _Where is his family…?_

Roxas tensed, feeling the emotions in Zack changing, his stomach churning uneasily. His mind was bare to the older alpha to allow him to channel through him as a mirror, but it left him vulnerable…exposed. He tried not to think about it, his blue eyes focusing on the wolf he was healing. There was nothing he could do about it now. Tifa was already halfway healed, and he couldn't just stop now. His quicksilver wouldn't allow it, especially not with Zack willing him on. Not that he wanted to stop healing her…he hated to see others suffering.

Redirecting Zack's attention, Roxas lifted the older boy's hand, repositioning it as he exhaled to calm his nerves, "Here, move to her chest. It'll help heal her from within."

The dark-haired boy nodded, the hand on the tawny wolf's back flexing against his skin gently, violet eyes moving across his sister's form. "Do you think she's healing alright?"

Roxas nodded, looking over his shoulder slightly. "She's doing just fine; it's just taking a bit longer because of the extensiveness of her wounds."

"Lightning hurt her pretty badly, that's for sure…" the alpha muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth. "What am I going to do about that stubborn alpha and his sisters…"

"Have you thought about talking to him?" Roxas asked, Zack looking down at him.

"Talk to him?" the older boy laughed softly. "I'm lucky if I can shut him up when I see him. All we ever do is argue."

Roxas shook his head. "I'm serious Zack. Haven't you ever wondered why the other clan keeps invading your territory? Have they ever acted like this before?"

The alpha hesitated, then replied, "When I was young, and Axel was just a pup, our fathers were friends. The clans were peaceful for a time, but as we grew older we grew apart." He moved his hand up slightly, placing it over his sister's heart and breathing in deeply before continuing. "I will admit, we've never been the way we are now. We've never been in a war with each other's clan…" His words were soft. "I remember when Axel used to talk to me about everything. He used to come to me for guidance when he first became the alpha of his clan. I had been alpha moons before he was old enough to journey to the moon temple and offer himself to the will of the lunar gods."

Roxas felt something inside of him twisting, unable to hold the words back that rose up in his throat. "Axel is in a bad situation right now." Roxas said, the alpha looking over at him in confusion. "His entire clan is starving. The humans beyond the mountain pass; they've been hunting the animals of the forest for so long that the woods are now barren. There isn't anything left for the clan of the red wolves. Nothing. They've had no choice but to come into your territory, or wait to die. "

"They're starving?" Zack asked, disbelief in his tone. "Axel would have come to me, he would have told me…"

"He doesn't want to look weak." Roxas replied simply. "You should understand what it's like to have an alpha's pride." The younger wolf pushed the last of his quicksilver into the black wolf lying before him before he pulled his hand back, Zack moving away and allowing the blonde boy to slump back against his arms, his shoulders trembling slightly. "No one ever wants to look weak…"

Zack's eyes moved from Roxas to Tifa, watching as the girl blinked open her eyes and looked over at him, reaching up to cover her mouth as she let out a long yawn. "Mmm, what happened, Zack? Is everyone alright?"

"Tifa!" Yuffie said excitedly, reaching out and grabbing her older sister's hand and clasping it between her own, the other wolf looking over at her with a smile.

"Hey little sis," the girl grinned, her rich brown eyes sparkling. "Did you stay out of trouble when the red wolves came?"

The younger girl laughed, shaking her head, her short black locks brushing against her cheeks. "Actually, I got into a lot of trouble. But Roxas here saved me! He saved you too!"

The newly resurrected wolf blinked over at her sister, pushing herself up into a sitting position and looking over at Rinoa, then Lulu, then Zack. "Lightning attacked me…what…how am I…?"

"This little rogue healed you." Lulu said softly, smiling at her friend. "He healed you in a way that I could not. He brought you back from the dead, Tifa. You should be ever grateful to the moon that he was sent to us in our time of need."

"You saved me?" the girl asked, Roxas looking up at her and nodding, the boy's eyes half lidded, his shoulders still shaking. The girl noticed, reaching over and touching his hand gently. "Are you alright? You look faint…"

"I'm alright." Roxas replied, shaking out his shoulders and moving to sit cross-legged beside her. "I'm always a bit drained after my quicksilver leaves me. I'll be fine once I've eaten and slept."

Zack eyed the blonde boy, glancing over at Rinoa, the older girl nodding. "Roxas," the alpha said, the tawny wolf looking over at him with tired blue eyes. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to. You saved two of my sisters today, and you stopped a fight between our clan and the wolves of the woods…" He reached over, placing his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I am in your debt."

"Roxas can sleep by the fire with me, right brother?" Yuffie asked, looking up at Zack with a smile in her eyes before directing her gaze at the tawny wolf. "I wanted to hear more about his clan! You said you're from the ocean far to the east, right? I've never been to the beaches; I bet it's beautiful…"

"It was…" Roxas said softly, a faraway look in his eyes. The alpha noticed the pain in his voice, but his younger sister was blissfully unaware, the petite girl hugging her sister and then walking over to the other wolf, holding out her hand to the boy.

"Will you tell me about it?" she asked, Roxas reaching up and taking her hand, allowing the girl to help him to his feet.

He wobbled for a moment then steadied himself, replying, "I guess I could tell you a bit about the sea."

"Great! I can't wait! Let's go get something to eat!"

"Alright…"

Zack watched them go, a feeling washing over him he didn't quite understand. He could feel the other wolf's loneliness, his heartache, his pain as if it were his own. Was it because they had been linked together a moment ago? Some residual feeling that was Roxas' and not his own? He felt…broken. He looked over at Tifa when he felt his sister take his hand, looking up at him with a soft smile. "So, he's a sentinel, huh?"

"It would appear so." Rinoa said, the two siblings looking over at their older sister.

"But how is that possible?" Tifa asked, looking down at herself, feeling across her side in amazement. "I feel as if the fight I had with Lightning never happened. Nothing aches, and there's not a scratch left…" She looked over at Lulu. "Where did he come from?"

"Yuffie said something about the ocean," the medicine woman said softly. "Other than that, I'm not sure…"

"None of us know anything about him," Zack said, the girls looking over at him, "He just appeared earlier tonight when Axel and I were sparring. He was just passing through, but he stayed to try and help end the fighting, and to heal Yuffie, and you."

"Why does he care?" Tifa asked, shaking her head and looking up at her brother, "I mean, we're not of his clan, and he has nothing to do with us. Why would he want to help?"

"Maybe where he's from that's how the wolves are. They help one another despite their clan." Rinoa said softly, getting to her feet and walking off towards the bonfire. "I remember when our father was alpha, and the clans were nearly united. When he died, the union was never completed, but it was something he wanted for us. For all of us. He believed that all wolves should live in peace with one another."

"It's hard to even think about being united when we're practically fighting to the death every time we lay eyes on one another…" Tifa said softly, watching Rinoa go, her older sister hearing her words and laughing softly. Xaldin met her in front of the bonfire, the two talking for a while before walking off together. Tifa sighed, getting to her feet as well, Zack and Lulu standing up with her. "Well then. It's been an eventful night from everything I've heard so far."

"You have no idea…" Zack said in return, thinking about his older sister's words and feeling the moon inside of him calling out long and low, like the howl of a wolf. Lulu rose to her feet, taking Tifa's arm and leading her off down the river to clean up, the girl's long dark hair and fair skin still stained with the remnants of dried blood. Zack watched them go, finding himself alone with nothing but his thoughts, his mind churning as he relived the evening over and over. Something was happening; something about Roxas' presence was stirring the air. And Axel, that stubborn wolf. Why hadn't he come to Zack and told him about his troubles? Then again, if the tables had been turned, the dark alpha wondered fleetingly if he would have gone to Axel for help. Roxas was right; the pride of an alpha could be a strong, terrible thing. But now that he knew about the other clan's hardships he couldn't just leave things the way they were. He'd grow up with Axel and his sisters, they had played together as children, and then they had lost their fathers mere moons apart, and had both become alpha's far too young. Maybe they weren't friends anymore, and maybe it was foolish for him to even think about talking to the other alpha… But still…he had to at least try and reason with him, and put an end to their fighting. They couldn't just let the humans continue to hunt and bleed the forest dry. Soon the mountains would be barren as well, and that would only be the beginning. If there was ever a time to unite the clans, it was now. The timing for this revelation, however, was horrible. They'd been ready to kill one another earlier. It would take time to change the hurt feelings between them. Time they didn't have to wait.

The black-haired boy sighed exasperatedly, walking towards the fire in the center of the den, several wolves smiling and nodding to him as he walked by. He smiled and nodded in return, acknowledging them in passing, his violet eyes searching across his pack until he found the wolf he'd been searching for, his bright blonde hair easily visible amongst the crowd of black wolves. He walked over to the tawny wolf and his little sister, Yuffie looking up at him with a piece of meat in her mouth. "Zack! Roxas was telling me about jellyfish! He says that they sting you, like wasps do! But they live in the ocean, and they're all stringy and squishy…"

The blonde boy laughed, taking another bite out of his apple while nodding and saying, "Yes, I suppose they are like a wasp in that way."

Yuffie giggled, smiling happily between the two boys, and then caught her older brother's eyes, noticing his expression. "Did you want to talk about something?"

Zack smiled, and then said, "Why don't you go see your sisters? I wanted to talk to Roxas alone for a while."

"Oh, okay," the girl replied, getting to her feet and waving goodbye to Roxas, chewing on her meat and walking off to the other side of the fire to stand by Rinoa, who was still talking to her tall, intimidating hunter. Roxas followed her departure with soft blue eyes, then looked up at Zack, the older boy sitting down beside him and grabbing a loaf of bread from a nearby basket, biting into it and looking over at him with a question in his eyes.

Roxas looked away for a moment, sensing what the question was before the words even left Zack's throat. "You want to know my story, don't you?"

"Yes," Zack said softly, his eyes searching the other boy's face, "If you would tell me."

Roxas looked back over at him then nodded, sadness in his blue eyes. "I knew someone would ask me, someday. I just didn't know when, or who it would be." A barely visible shudder shook his shoulders and passed down his spine, the boy squeezing his fingers tightly around his apple and letting out a long sigh. "Alright then. Let's begin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 will be the beginning of Roxas' story; the events that lead him from his childhood as a normal wolf to becoming a sentinel, his years spent with his alpha Cloud, and then the betrayal by his twin brother Ventus that shattered his world and destroyed everything he held dear…
> 
> Be sure to join me next time! Thanks for reading!


	5. Brothers

"I grew up in a small village built into the side of the cliffs by the eastern sea. The land was uninhabited by anyone else but our clan, food was plentiful, and everyone lived in peace. When I was still young, our alpha had a son that would one day be my alpha, he was only a few moons older than me, but I idolized him. I'd never had someone to look up to, my mother and father had been stricken with an illness when I was young and had died before I was old enough to remember them. In my immediate family, only my twin brother and I survived the sickness. The alpha at the time accepted us into his inner circle, and his son, Cloud, always looked after us as if we were his little brothers. He was strong, and powerful, and I spent all of my time with him. My brother, Ventus, kept more to himself. He had hatred in his heart because of the misfortunes that had happened to us. He spent most of his time wandering the beaches, searching for something. He never seemed to find it, always coming back to the den with a lost expression in his eyes. Sometimes I used to think that he was looking for our parents, and then I realized they were never coming back."

Zack watched with soft, understanding eyes. "Your brother, where is he?"

Roxas shook his head, reaching for a piece of meat and crushing it between his fangs. He chewed slowly, looking off into the fire, the memories of his childhood swirling within his mind. "Ventus is the one that destroyed everything. I haven't seen him since the day Cloud was killed."

-x-x-x-

Roxas remembered when he and Ventus had first met Cloud. The older boy was warm, and caring, and welcomed them into the den with a smile. "Hey, I'm Cloud. I'm going to be the next alpha!"

Roxas had looked up at the other boy with wide, innocent eyes. "You're the son of the alpha?"

Cloud had nodded. "That means I'll be your alpha someday, isn't that cool?"

Ventus had not been amused, looking up at the other wolf with a snort, his ears laid back. "You're barely older than us. Don't get so excited about it yet."

Cloud had watched Ventus with soft sapphire eyes, and said, "I'm sorry about what happened to your family."

Ventus and Cloud never became the best of friends, but the older wolf looked after Ventus, no matter how much the younger wolf didn't want him to. Cloud always seemed to be there for Roxas and Ventus, their ever-watchful, all-knowing protector. It only made the affection Roxas had for the older boy grow stronger, and slowly that affection became an attraction, and as they grew up together the brotherly love they once shared shifted into something more for Roxas, and slowly turned into a crush. He was always thinking about Cloud, always with him, always by his side. He went on long walks with the older boy; they patrolled the beaches and explored the fields, and helped Cloud's father hunt. Roxas learned how to climb the cliffs, and shift between wolf and human form, and how to pray to the moon. The lunar gods blessed them with fish from the sea and eggs from the gulls, and in return the wolves howled their thanks, and the cycle of life continued to flow smoothly in the small village against the cliffs on the beach.

When Cloud had been with the clan for eighteen moons, and his father became sick, he left the village and journeyed with his father and their village elder, Cid, to the moon temple to the north. They were gone for several weeks, and when Cloud returned he was the new alpha. His father never came back from the mountains, and no one ever questioned the other wolf's disappearance. Roxas later found out that was the way things happened; the alpha had to give his lunar soul to his successor in order to keep their blessing from the moon alive in their bloodline. Once the moon left the previous alpha, he remained at the moon temple, and lived out the remainder of his life with the spirit wolves at the temple in peace. Roxas and Ventus had only experienced fifteen moons, and the sudden transition between alpha's was more unsettling for them that the rest of the clan. Ventus became angry, sparring with the other wolves in the clan, pushing himself to become stronger, quickly becoming known for his foxlike magic. The more he fought, the more his powers awakened. He could create small bursts of blue fire, and bend things to his will, and he even had small capabilities of controlling plants. Cid, the elder of the clan, kept a watchful eye on the boy, but never moved to teach him more about his powers. He could sense the darkness in Ventus' heart, and he knew that if he taught the boy he would only be furthering his destructive nature.

Roxas, on the other hand, was kind and gentle, and wanted more than anything to help his new alpha. The boy that he had idolized for so long was now his alpha, his leader, his…everything. The growing crush he'd been fighting against for the last year or so renewed in full bloom, Roxas having to fight against blushing when the older wolf brushed against him casually when they ran together across the beach. He couldn't shake the feeling, no matter how much he tried. Cloud slowly began to notice the younger boy was acting strangely, but kept his thoughts to himself. He knew Roxas well enough after the years they'd spent together that the boy would talk to him when he was ready to. What he didn't know, however, was that Roxas was doing everything he could _not_ to talk to him about what he was feeling. As the months went by, things changed between them, and then something else changed… Humans appeared on the far end of the beach.

When the humans first came, Cloud sent the hunters to silently observe them. They watched, but didn't interact. The humans seemed peaceful enough, building a small refuge near the ocean, catching fish, building homes and riding horses across the fields. As months passed, more humans came. They began to use large nets to gather many fish at once, and the humans on horseback began hunting the deer, pheasants, and turkeys in the plains. Still, the wolves kept to themselves. "If they do not bother us, we have no reason to bother them." Cloud had said softly one night when Roxas had asked him about the growing human population.

"But what happens if their city keeps growing?" Roxas asked worriedly, the older wolf meeting his eyes. "What happens if they come down to this side of the beach? They have guns they hunt with. They could shoot us…"

"The humans aren't going to shoot you, Roxas." The older wolf chuckled, leaning over and nuzzling the younger wolf. "Stop worrying so much. Everything's fine."

But everything was not fine. Maybe it would have been if the wolves and the humans had remained separate from one another, maybe if they had never met or noticed one another… But with new things comes curiosity, and Ventus was obsessed with the growing human town. He watched them constantly, his ears lifted high, soaking in all the sounds as he lay in the grass at the edge of the beach and the fields. The market, the fisherman on the docks, the hunters riding about on their horses… All the sounds were new and strange and intriguing. He wanted to go investigate. He wanted to meet them. Their form was that of his other side, the form he took when he fell out of his wolf's skin. He wanted to know more about them. He had never felt like he belonged with the wolves. Maybe he would be able to find his place among the humans. But he didn't want to go alone. He wanted his twin to come with him.

-x-x-x-

"When Ventus first came to me and told me he wanted to go to the human town, I was just as curious as he was." Roxas said, looking up at Zack, who was listening intently. "I had always wanted to know what they did on the inside of their walls, and why they were there, and what they wanted. And even though Cloud had said to just watch and listen, but never interact… I didn't listen. So, one night, I went with my twin to the human city. It was the beginning of the end of my clan."

-x-x-x-

The wolves waited until dusk before padding across the warm sands towards the human city, Roxas following carefully behind Ventus. He felt like they shouldn't be exploring the town, but his brother urged him on, Ventus' long tail wagging behind him. "Come on Roxas! You go on adventures with Cloud all the time! Come on one with me…"

"I'm coming…" Roxas said softly, following after the other wolf. Ventus was peeking around the edge of a tall wooden fence, his ears pivoting towards the sound of horses whinnying.

"Look, there's the stables. They're bringing in more horses…"

Roxas stepped up to his brother's side, "I know, we saw a caravan come in earlier. The humans had several wagons with them from the other city…"

Ventus stepped forward, saying over his shoulder, "Come on, while there's no one here. Let's have some fun."

Roxas laughed softly, following after the other wolf, the two brothers creeping around the back side of the stables, the horses neighing nervously when they caught the scent of the wolves. Ventus growled from behind the wall, one of the horses crying out and raising onto its hind legs, Roxas scowling at his brother and saying softly, "You're going to wake up the humans…"

His twin shrugged then sauntered off around the edge of a nearby house, walking further into the town. Roxas hesitated then followed after him, already wondering what would happen if they were somehow caught. He hated the sound of gunfire, and he figured the sting of a bullet wouldn't exactly feel nice either. A shudder passed through his shoulders, the wolf running lightly to catch up with his brother, who was weaving between houses and making his way further into the heart of the growing human city. Roxas listened intently for the sound of approaching footsteps, but most of the humans seemed to be shut up in their homes out of sight. Ventus had stopped up ahead however, his ears erect and his tail lashing the air excitedly. Roxas stepped up to his shoulder and looked down the street where his brother was staring, picking out a small human girl walking down the street through the shadows. "Look, she's probably our age…"

Roxas, instantly realizing what his brother was up to, said, "Ventus, do not go over there. You don't know what will happen…"

"There's only one way to find out," Ventus said with a wolf's grin, his canines flashing in the light cast by a nearby torch. The wolf turned to continue down the stone path, hunkering down in the shadows to follow unseen behind the human girl. Anger flashed through Roxas, but then the other wolf followed after his twin, cursing the other wolf under his breath and then silently praying to the moon that he didn't get them both caught.

They followed the human girl for a while. She was humming to herself, a thick dark cloak wrapped around her shoulders, her short dark hair curved around her neck and cheeks. Roxas couldn't see the human's face clearly, but he could tell that Ventus was right, she was about their age. Maybe a moon younger or so, Roxas couldn't be sure. Did humans even age by the moon? Maybe they aged by the sun, since they were always awake and working in the day-time…

Ventus had stopped in front of him, Roxas practically running into his twin, peeking around the corner to see that the girl had stopped at the front door to a small cottage. She was looking through her bag for something, looking around and sighing when she didn't seem to find it. Roxas looked over at his twin, who was looking down at the road a few yards away, something catching his eye. Roxas growled softly, saying in a stern tone, "Ven, don't do it…"

But the other wolf didn't pay him any heed, walking over to the small trinket that had fallen from the girl's pocket and picking it up in his mouth, turning towards the cottage and walking over to the human slowly, the lost item held lightly between his fangs. Roxas' fur bristled down his back, watching as his twin approached the girl, the human turning around and noticing the wolf in the street for the first time, backing away a step towards the light of the torches by the door. Ventus stepped a few paces closer then sat down, cocking his head at the human and watching her expectantly.

The human girl stared at the wolf for a long time, and then noticed the object held in the wolf's mouth, taking a cautious step closer and reaching out her hand. "Good boy…" she said softly, Ventus dropping the trinket on the ground and looking up at her with a grin. The human picked it up, wiping it against her cloak before holding it between her hands. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost this…"

Ventus rose up, taking another step towards the girl, the human watching him and holding out her hand. Roxas watched, barely breathing, as his brother leaned in and sniffed the girl's hand, then pressed his nose against her palm, the human giggling softly when he licked at her fingers. The wolf backed away from her a few steps, looking up towards the sky, then back down at the human before him. The moon was nearly full, the stars sparking above them brilliantly, stray sea clouds whisked across the sky by an ocean breeze. Roxas could feel the energy shifting, his blue eyes boring into Ventus with a fury. _Don't you do it, Ventus. Don't you dare do it…_

The air shifted, and as the breeze moved so did Ventus. The wolf's fur changed, fading into tanned skin and golden-blonde hair, bright blue eyes shining out from underneath his bangs; a mirror image of Roxas in his human form. The human watched, a terrified look in her eyes, her hands moving to cover her mouth to keep herself from screaming. In the end, she failed to do so. Her voice pierced the air with a petrified cry, Ventus watching her with an exasperated expression across his face for just a moment before he shifted back into his wolf form, running towards Roxas, the other wolf turning to run at his side back through the human city towards the outer wall.

"What were you _thinking_ Ven!" Roxas shouted, the other wolf gritting his fangs and growling.

"I don't know, alright! I just wanted her to see me! That's all!"

The two wolves ran through the shadows, dodging humans as they came out of their houses and into the streets, searching for the cause of the disturbance. No one saw them leaving, and no one followed them, the two young wolves racing one another back to their den. Ventus was fascinated. Roxas never wanted to go back again.

-x-x-x-

"I went with my brother to sate his curiosity," Roxas said softly, taking a bite out of his pear and looking away from the alpha at his side, Zack watching his movements with shining violet irises. "What I didn't realize was I hadn't sated his curiosity. If anything I'd made his hunger for the humans grow. No matter what I said to him, nothing changed. He wanted to go back, yearned for it like nothing I'd ever seen before. Once Ventus put his mind to something, he couldn't be swayed from it. And I wasn't strong enough to stop him." Roxas took another bite of the fruit, gnashing the pear between his teeth angrily for a moment, then thought about something silently, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. "But then…I suppose Ventus acting the way he did drove my desire to become stronger. I was afraid more than anything that the humans would come looking for us and I would be powerless to stop them. I wasn't a fighter like Ven or Zell. I wasn't wise like Cid. And I wasn't a leader like Cloud. I was weak, and I hated it. I think that's why it happened."

"Why what happened?" Zack asked, Roxas looking over at him, his eyes gleaming in the fire light.

"Why the moon chose me."

-x-x-x-

About a week after the incident with the human girl, the twins shared their sixteenth moon together. Ventus didn't stay with the pack for long, soon after the initial announcement he disappeared to the far end of the shore with Zell, his new favorite sparring partner. Roxas, on the other hand, stayed at the den with Cloud and a few other friends, dining on shellfish and crab, and an eel that Cloud had managed to catch near the deepest part of the nearby reef. "I wanted to get something you'd never tasted before, for your sixteenth moon," Cloud said, grinning down at the younger boy, "It's not every day you become a full-grown wolf. Welcome to the life of adulthood."

"You won't be able to tease us about being pups anymore!" Roxas said with a grin, munching happily on half of the eel, Cloud laughing and rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, well," he said, looking out towards the ocean, never finishing his sentence as he stared out towards the horizon. "The moon's full tonight. That's a good sign." He turned to look over at Roxas, a soft smile across his lips. "It's supposed to bring you good luck and blessings from the moon to celebrate during a full lunar phase."

The younger boy blushed and had to look away, shying away from the intensity in Cloud's eyes. Sometimes when his alpha looked at him that way he had uncontrollable thoughts. Thoughts he shouldn't have been having for the boy who had once looked after him like an older brother. The fire in his chest burned intensely, the boy forcing himself to look back at Cloud and take another bite of his eel, trying to pretend he wasn't thinking about the ever-present crush consuming his thoughts. Cloud noticed his withdrawn expression, and looked over at the other wolf with soft, questioning eyes. Roxas chewed slowly, then swallowed and said, "Thank you for the eel, it's really tasty!"

The older boy seemed to snap out of his musings, Cloud nodding to him before looking out across the ocean once more. Roxas watched him, longing throbbing in his chest. He wanted to be there, to be stronger for Cloud. He wanted to be able to fight and defend the other boy. He wanted to be by his side no matter what. But he was too afraid, and too weak, and the unwavering crush he had on the alpha wasn't helping anything. The rest of the night was spent in relative silence, until finally the wolves retreated to their designated sleeping spots within the cave and curled up together, fast asleep. Cloud, Roxas, and Ventus shared an alcove at the back of the cave, the heart of the den. When Roxas curled up to go to sleep his twin brother was still out fighting, and Cloud was walking along the beach, staring up at the full moon. Roxas lay there, his thoughts wandering tormented through his mind, until finally he fell into a restless sleep. He dreamed of fighting, and winning. He dreamed of being a mighty protector, he dreamed of saving his clan from unseen forces that meant to do them harm. He was invincible. And yet…it was all just a dream. He woke up, looking around for his brother and Cloud. Ventus was curled up against some furs a few yards away, breathing deeply in sleep. Cloud still wasn't back, but Roxas was sure he wasn't too far away. With a silent huff of disappointment, Roxas rolled over and curled up again, his eyes burning with the faint sting of tears. He wanted to be the wolf he was in his dreams. But he never would be. He wasn't strong enough. He would never be able to protect anyone. He wouldn't be able to help Cloud.

When Roxas fell asleep again something washed over him, pulling him deep down into his inner mind, the wolf opening his eyes in his dream and looking around his swirling unconsciousness, wondering to himself why he was there. He stood up, walking with bare human feet across the endless expanse of his mind, silver, blue, and white swirling around together, mingling the night sky, and the darkness, and Cloud's eyes, so very similar to the color of his own eyes, and those of his brother's.

_You want to protect them, don't you?_

Roxas jolted, looking around the void, his heart pounding. He'd heard the voice as if the speaker had been standing at his side, whispering into his ear. The young wolf hesitated, then replied, "I've always wanted to help them. But I've never been able to."

 _You want to become stronger?_ The same voice asked again, a blinding light appearing overhead, Roxas looking away and shielding his eyes, peeking through his fingers to watch the swirling void turn jet black around him, then fade to dark blue, stars appearing all around him as if he were floating in the night sky. The moon shone mightily before him in all its glory, luminous and translucent, shimmering like brilliant quicksilver in the night sky. Out of the light of the moon a wolf appeared, white at first, then becoming clear, stars sparking in the wolf's coat and piercing eyes. _Tell me, young wolf. Tell me what you would do with this strength that you seek._

"I would protect the people I care about," Roxas said softly, an unseen pressure pushing against him, almost knocking the air from his lungs, "I would be able to help my alpha, instead of always being the one helped. I would be able to fight for my brother, instead of him feeling like he's always fighting alone. I want to be their protectors…"

_And if you were able to obtain this power, what would you give in return?_

Roxas looked up at the astral wolf, his eyes shining. "I would give everything to be able to protect the ones I love."

 _Then give everything you shall,_ the voice said, taking a step down from the heavens above Roxas and holding out a paw, _I bestow upon you a blessing, young wolf. A mighty lunar soul to help you with your desires; protection to keep those you love safe, healing to save those who have been hurt, patience and understanding to help those who have lost their way. Be their guide, their knight, their guardian, young wolf. Be your alpha's sentinel and bring light to him, your brother, and your clan._

"I don't understand," Roxas said, looking up at the wolf, watching as stars gathered before her lifted paw and slowly began streaming down in a spiraling silver descent, moving around Roxas and blinding him with starlight.

 _You're a sentinel now, Roxas. Within your heart you now have the strength to do anything your lunar soul and your alpha will permit you to do. Use this power wisely. It is not something that has been offered to a young wolf in nearly a century._ The light grew, heat blossoming across Roxas' skin, the boy looking down and watching as the stars imbedded themselves into his arms, and chest, and legs. _Never forget this night, for it will be something you will tell your children and your grandchildren, for generations to come. The night that you were blessed by the moon._

Roxas snapped awake when he heard someone screaming, blinking his eyes and reaching up to rub his face…but then he realized he couldn't move. He looked over, noticing Ventus was hovering over him saying something, but Roxas couldn't hear him over the screaming. And the more he listened to the screaming, the more pain he felt, forcing his body to lift an arm, eyes going wide at the sight of blood pouring out of his skin. Then he realized he was the one who was screaming. Slowly he regained control over his body, his screams deadening into pained whimpers, Ventus' voice ringing in his ears.

"Rox! Roxas, what happened? Can you hear me? Roxas!"

Cloud was at his side a moment later, the alpha's eyes wide with panic and his chest heaving from where he'd run back to the den from across the beach. "What happened? Why is he covered in blood?"

"I don't know! I was asleep and he started screaming! I looked over and there was blood everywhere…"

Cloud looked from Ventus down to Roxas, reaching out and pressing his hand to the bleeding boy's arm gently, "Roxas…" he whispered softly, worry in his eyes.

Something inside of the younger wolf shifted, his eyes burning like liquid fire, his skin burning like hundreds of tiny scalding hot brands were being pressed all down his arms and legs and the sides of his cheeks. Cloud and Ventus were watching with amazed looks across their faces, Cloud reaching up and cupping Roxas' face gently, staring into his eyes.

"They're turning silver…" Ventus whispered, disbelief in his tone. "Cloud, what does that mean?"

"It means the moon heard his prayers…" Cloud whispered softly. "He's been blessed by the moon."

"You mean, like an alpha?" the other boy asked, looking down at his wounded twin.

Cloud shook his head, stroking Roxas' bleeding cheek, noticing the silver runes burning beneath the blood. "No, he's something much different…" He looked up at Ventus, "Go get Cid. He's at the far end of the beach near the cliffs meditating. Tell him it's urgent, go quickly!"

Roxas watched as his brother left his side and ran across the den, several of their pack-mates muttering to one another and watching with concern, the younger boy's eyes looking back up to meet his alpha's after a moment of wandering across the ceiling of the cave. Cloud watched him with soft eyes, leaning in and searching Roxas' face for any other signs of distress. "Cloud…" the boy whispered softly, his alpha rubbing his arm gently.

"What did you do, Roxas?" Cloud asked gently, searching his eyes.

Roxas opened his mouth to reply, but exhaustion washed over him, and suddenly everything faded into black.

-x-x-x-

"Over the next few weeks my body healed, and I began to discover the amazing abilities I'd been blessed with. Everything was more intense, my senses heightened to hyper awareness, my body was faster and stronger, by thoughts and actions were quicker. When I sparred with Ventus for the first time he beat me, but I quickly learned from my mistakes, and after the first few defeats I was matching him blow by blow, until finally I surpassed him. His foxlike powers were no match for my lunar soul. Cid began training me. He had a moon scroll from the temple in the northern mountains. I couldn't read the scroll, but the runes were the same as the star-scars etched into my skin. He would recite passages to me, and I would memorize them. When I spoke the words my skin would flare with light and bleed, but by regeneration would quickly heal the small wounds. Eventually my body became accustomed to the quicksilver manipulating it, and I stopped bleeding. My eyes always turn silver though, I've never been able to control that or the appearance of the runes across my skin. Cid taught me how to heal myself, and then others. And then he taught me to channel the moon with my alpha."

-x-x-x-

Roxas and Cloud hadn't been around one another for the past month or so, Roxas' new powers were wild and out of control around the alpha they were drawn to. After weeks of training, once Cid had taught the younger wolf to control his breathing and his thoughts and use the quicksilver instead of letting it control him, the elder introduced the two boys again. Instantly Roxas could feel the powers within him stirring at the older wolf's presence, but he managed to keep them in check, Cloud walking over to him with a smile in his sapphire eyes. "It's good to see you again; I've heard you're doing quite well."

Cid nodded, the older wolf looking between the two boys, "He learns quickly, and he is making remarkable progress. I think it is time that I show you two how to use one another's abilities to their fullest extent. I will teach you how to channel together to reach the energies of the moon, and then use these energies by bending them to your will." Roxas looked up at Cloud, the other boy looking back at him with a confident expression. "It will not be easy, and I dare say you will be injured at some point trying to wield the lunar souls you possess. But this is something you must learn to do together, as alpha and sentinel. Listen carefully, and learn."

As Cid explained the way that their two lunar souls would need to meld together and combine to reach the moon, all Roxas could think about was how much he had missed Cloud. The older boy had avoided him on purpose for the past few weeks under their elder's duress, as to not upset the delicate balance between them and possibly injure the younger wolf before he could learn to control his powers and keep them locked deep within. Roxas had missed the older boy so much, his heart calling out to the other wolf long and low like a lonely howl, longing for the other boy to be back at his side. And now finally, they were back together again. Roxas could feel every fiber of his being singing out to the alpha, his pulse elevated in his ears, his fingers twitching as his quicksilver coiled inside of him, fighting to be set free, pushing forward with such pressure Roxas though he might pass out. When Cloud nodded to Cid then turned to him, reaching out and offering his hand to Roxas, the younger wolf felt the earth shift beneath his feet, falling to the ground. Cloud caught him before his head hit the dirt beneath them, the older boy holding Roxas against him gently and saying his name softly, Cid sighing and muttering under his breath about trying things too quickly. The alpha chuckled and looked down at the wolf in his arms, taking Roxas' hand and pressing it to his chest, something inside of the younger wolf humming, a warm relaxing sensation washing over him.

"Relax…" he heard Cloud say softly, Roxas looking up and meeting his eyes. "Trust me, Roxas. Just breathe…"

The younger wolf nodded, exhaling long and slow, looking up into his alpha's eyes and feeling the other wolf moving inside of him, then suddenly something clicked and their minds joined, and a fierce blush spread across Cloud's cheeks. Roxas, who had been daydreaming about Cloud dipping down and kissing him, instantly flushed crimson and broke away from the alpha. The wolf wrenched his gaze away from his alpha's wide, surprised eyes, scrambling to his feet and backing away from the other wolf with a horrified expression across his face. Cid, who had sensed their lunar souls connecting a moment before, scowled and said, "What are you doing? You made the link! Come back here, you need to keep practicing…"

"I have to go," Roxas said, running off across the fields towards the beach, his heart pounding as his feet turned into paws, his wolf form quickly carrying him past the den and further down the beach. He ran and ran, coming to a stop near the crags by the far reef, Roxas allowing himself to relax back into human form before sinking down into the sand and burying his face in his hands. "Oh god, what did I just do! Cloud felt everything I was feeling just then, he could read my thoughts…" The boy pulled at his hair angrily, "Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

Roxas sat there for a long time, his heart twisting and throbbing, worry choking his throat. What did it mean? Did Cloud hate him now? Did the alpha find him repulsing? Tears dripped down his cheeks silently. He'd become so strong on the outside, but on the inside he still felt so very vulnerable, and lost, and weak… "You're not weak, Roxas…"

The blonde looked up with wide eyes, Cloud shifting from his wolf form to his human form before his eyes, worry dancing in his irises. Roxas cringed, holding his hands against his head. He couldn't control his feelings, thoughts swirling through his mind, the wolf fighting back his tears in vain. Cloud walked over to him, reaching out and pressing his palm against the younger boy's chest gently. Roxas sniffed, looking down at the hand touching his chest, feeling something inside of him moving and changing, then slowly separating and withdrawing, leaving him a bit colder than he was before. He hadn't broken the connection they'd shared before he'd run off. There was no telling what Cloud had shared with him in the time it had taken Roxas to run off and collapse against the far side of the beach. The two wolves were quiet for a long time, Roxas shivering slightly as an ocean breeze passed by, the icy bite of the chilly night to come passing against his bare skin and leaving goose bumps in its wake, the wolf clenching his teeth and forcing himself not to move. He couldn't move, not until Cloud did. He was afraid if be moved the moment would be broken, and he would lose the other boy forever somehow. So he waited, the cold biting into his skin relentlessly, until Cloud sighed and stepped towards him, kneeling down beside the younger wolf and wrapping his arms around him, pulling him against his chest roughly.

"You're so stubborn…" Cloud said gruffly, Roxas reaching up and pressing his hand against Cloud's chest lightly.

"C-Cloud?" Roxas asked, his voice unsure and wavering.

"Why didn't you talk to me about it?" the alpha asked softly, "You've always talked to me about everything before. Did you think this would be any different?"

"How was I supposed to talk to you about something like that," Roxas said, pushing himself away slightly and looking up at the other boy, tears staining his cheeks and the corners of his eyes. "You… I couldn't lose you because of something like that. I couldn't…"

"You thought that having a crush on me would somehow make me hate you?" Cloud asked, Roxas sniffing and nodding against his chest, burying his face in shame. The older boy sighed, rubbing the younger wolf's back gently, then said, "Roxas…do you have any idea how long I've wanted to kiss you?"

Roxas stilled against Cloud's chest, slowly moving away from the other wolf's arms and looking up at him with wide eyes. "W-what?"

"I've wanted to kiss you," the golden alpha said softly, "Since the night my father invited you and Ventus into our den. It's been years, Roxas. I've wanted to kiss you for years. But you were so young, and innocent, and naïve. And I didn't want to take advantage of you. I never thought you would want me to…"

Roxas, amazement shining in his eyes, stared up at Cloud in disbelief. All this time…Cloud had wanted to be with him too? Cloud had wanted to kiss him? And hold him? And be there for him no matter what… "Cloud, I never thought tha-" The younger wolf was cut off by the lips pressed against his own, Roxas' body catching fire with that first kiss, his quicksilver singing through his veins. Cloud pulled him close, pressing their bodies together, Roxas shuddering and pressing his hand against the alpha's chest, over his heart. Their lunar souls clicked once more, their minds opened to one another. After that moment they never hid anything from one another ever again. Which meant later that morning Roxas revealed what had happened when he and Ventus had gone into the human city, and that Ventus had been sneaking off to see that human girl ever since…

The next time Ventus headed into the city, Roxas followed him once again, this time keeping to the shadows out of sight of his brother. Cloud just wanted him to watch Ventus, make sure the other wolf wasn't causing any unnecessary trouble. Roxas and Cloud had no idea exactly how much trouble Ventus was actually getting them into…getting all of them into. The humans were about to find out about their entire clan. And once you've been deemed a threat, you become a target. And targets are eliminated, snuffed out from existence, destroyed before they can rise up and retaliate. And sometimes, before they can even begin to defend themselves…

In three short days, Roxas' entire reason for being would be wiped out.

-x-x-x-

Gunfire broke the quiet serenity of the mountainside, Roxas looking towards the entrance of the cave with wide eyes, Zack instantly on his feet, Paine and Xaldin already at the entranceway looking out towards the forest and hills, trying to distinguish where the shot had come from. Roxas rose to his feet, padding over to Zack's side, Vincent walking up to his sister a moment later and whispering, "It's the hunters from before. They sound like they're hunting down a few mountain goats…"

"The humans are here? That close?" Roxas said, worry in his eyes, Zack looking down that the blonde boy.

"It'll be alright, they never come this far into the woods." He looked over at Xaldin who nodded, then went back to pacing between the fire and the mouth of the cave. "No human has ever discovered this den."

"Still, we should at least take a look," Paine said, her brother nodding at her side. Zack nodded to them in return, the two wolves shifting forms and running out into the breaking dawn, the pinkish light of the new day touching the furthest point of the rocks sheltering the black clan's den.

Roxas could feel a sick feeling twisting up inside of him, the boy taking a step out of the den and morphing into his wolf form, Zack following suit and stepping out beside him into the soft light. "What are you doing?" the black alpha asked, watching Roxas as the tawny wolf headed up the incline towards the outer caves, sniffing the air.

"Those hunters are the ones that have been starving the red clan," Roxas said, an unseen fire burning in his eyes, "And let's just say, since you haven't heard the rest of my story, I don't have particularly good feelings towards human hunters."

Zack hesitated, his movements thoughtful and precise. "What will you do?"

"What my brother once did, only this time I'm going to do things right," Roxas said, looking out towards the mountain pass where gunfire echoed from yet again, "I'm going to go investigate, and then, I'm going to put a stop to this human invasion before they do more than just starve your two clans to the brink of death."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Roxas goes to investigate the human city beyond the mountain pass, he will meet someone he didn't expect.  
> And when the tawny wolf reveals the middle of his story about his twin's mistakes, and his clan's demise, will it help sway Zack and Axel to join him in pushing back the humans breeching their territory?  
> Will the two alpha's join together to reclaim their land and save their clans?
> 
> Thanks for reading! More Quicksilver to come!


	6. Festival

Roxas crept towards the cliffs where he'd seen the mountain goats before, ears laid back against his head as he flattened himself against the ground. Paine and Vincent were already there, hunkered down in the grass a few yards away, the black wolves watching the humans with calculating eyes. The siblings whispered back and forth, looking over at Roxas, Vincent pivoting his ears towards the tawny wolf questioningly. The younger wolf didn't notice, too caught up in watching the humans standing before them; four tall, burly men wielding long hunting rifles. Two of the men were inspecting a goat they'd killed, the third human standing watch nearby, while the fourth had wandered a ways. Suddenly the fourth human lifted his arm and shouted for his comrades, "Hey, come look at this!"

The other three humans stopped what they were doing for a moment and looked over towards their friend, and then walked over to him. The fourth human was pointing at something on the ground, Roxas lifting himself up just enough so that he could see what the human was motioning to. "Looks like an animal got it." One of the humans said, looking down at the corpse of one of the goats, the one Roxas and the red wolves had fed on the night before.

"A mountain lion maybe?" another man asked, the human at his side shaking his head.

"No, I don't think so."

One of the other humans crossed his arms over his chest, and then asked, "You heard what happened to the village by the eastern sea?"

The third human nodded. "It burned to the ground, right?"

The man who had originally spoken replied, "They say it was punishment for what they did to the wolves that lived there before the settlement was created."

"Wolves?" his friend asked, "Do you really think there are wolves here?"

The fourth human, who had first noticed the slaughtered remains, said, "It looks a lot more like a wolf attack than a mountain lion, that's for sure…"

"Well, let's get back to town. If there really are wolves somewhere in these mountains I don't want to run into them any time soon."

His companions agreed, leaving the corpse behind and going to retrieve their kill. They worked together between the four of them to lift the goat and carry it between them back down the hillside towards the gorge below, fading into the early morning mist and out of sight. Roxas could still hear their voices echoing up through the mountain pass, his heart pounding. The humans had heard about what had happened at his home. What if they were planning on destroying the wolf clans here the way they had destroyed his family? He rose up out of the grass, tail lashing the air behind him. Vincent and Paine were at his side a moment later, the two guards watching him with questioning eyes.

"You're from the sea to the east, aren't you?" Vincent asked softly, his sister standing at his shoulder with a pained expression across her face.

"Roxas?" the female wolf asked softly, "What were they talking about? What happened?"

The golden wolf didn't reply, his fur standing on edge. His thoughts were swarming, his heart racing, the other wolves' questions falling on deaf ears. "I'm going to follow them back to town and gather some information on the situation. If they know about what happened with the other village…there's a chance they might come hunting for your clan, and the forest clan as well."

The two mountain wolves looked at one another then turned to watch Roxas as the younger wolf headed after the humans down the mountain pass, descending into the mist that was covering the gorge in a thick layer of fog. Paine took a step towards the gorge but Vincent stopped her, the wolf looking up at her brother with confusion in her eyes.

"We can't just let him go alone, what if they turn on him?"

Vincent shook his head. "If he's dealt with humans before he'll know how to hide. We would just be getting in the way by following him."

Paine started to say something, then sighed, looking down the valley off towards the human city. _Be careful, Roxas…_

-x-x-x-

As he neared the human settlement in the gorge at the base of the mountains the city was waking, the noises of shops opening and people greeting one another meeting his ears, the wolf trotting closer as he kept to the shadows. The mist was proving to be excellent cover, the humans completely unaware that he was following them into their home, his paw prints silent against the damp earth as he snuck through their gates and into the closest alleyway he could reach. The wolf followed after the hunting party the best he could as he moved from house to house, avoiding the humans walking the streets with expert skill. He'd learned that being unseen was the key to traveling the human settlements without causing a huge scene. Ventus had avoided being unseen on purpose. He had wanted the humans to know him, and accept him. Roxas had never shared the sentiment. The wolf stopped behind a small house, blue eyes watching the humans as they entered a butcher shop, the shopkeeper greeting them heartily. They were getting closer to the inner city; there were villagers everywhere, Roxas ducking back into the shadows when a mother and two children walked past the house he was hiding behind. _Well, I guess I don't have a choice. I won't be able to follow them much longer if I keep this form…_

Roxas looked back over his shoulder, observing the back yard of the house he was crouching behind. There were several pairs of boots by the back door, along with a coat and a long, flowing cloak that was thrown over the railing of a nearby fence. The wolf walked over, allowing his human skin to take over, sighing and feeling the change wash over him, his bare skin instantly chilled by the cold morning air. He reached out and took the cloak, wrapping it around his shoulders and over his head, enveloping himself in shadows. Casually, he walked around the side of the house and towards the butcher shop, a human couple walking past him without taking more than a second look in his direction. To them he was just another villager out for a morning stroll. He was a wolf hidden among sheep.

As he neared the shop he could hear the humans talking about their kill, and their find on the mountainside, the butcher laughing loudly and saying in response, "Let the wolves be! If anything that village burned to the ground because those silly fools dishonored the moon's faithful servants! One can only expect for there to be consequences. If our brothers at the eastern sea would have left nature alone, I guarantee you nothing like that catastrophe would have ever happened! That village was put in its place by the lunar gods."

"We should have known better than to ask for your opinion, old timer." One of the hunters said with a laugh. "This whole town is full of superstitious buffoons like you."

The butcher laughed, "You'd be surprised how many superstitious old fools like me are out there, and not just from this village. People are traveling from as far away as the high plains to come to this city and participate in our Festival of the Moon. Now is not the time to be thinking about going on a wolf hunt. Drive that thought from your minds. It will only cause trouble!"

"Don't you worry about us making trouble," one of the other hunters said, irritation evident in his tone, "Just butcher this damn goat and send it to the festival chefs. I'm sure they've been waiting on it all morning. It's going to need to marinate and roast on the spit all day to be ready for the feast tonight."

"Mmm…roasted goat…" another hunter said, Roxas visualizing the human rubbing his stomach appreciatively. "I heard they're going to be serving all sorts of things at the feast tonight…"

One of the other hunters laughed and said candidly, "Never mind your differences in gods, it doesn't matter what you believe in! Everyone gets a free meal!"

The hunters and butcher laughed together then said their farewells, Roxas pressing his back against the side of the shop; his heartbeat pounding in his ears as the hunters exited the butcher's shop and stood together near the entrance. They stood there silently for a moment before one of the hunters said, "I think it would be a good idea to check with the chefs before we head home, just to make sure they're not planning on sending us out again for something else they've forgotten."

The hunters muttered words of agreement between the four of them, then they headed off together towards the inner city, much further into the heart of the human village than Roxas would have liked to go… But if anyone were going to rise up and attack the wolves it would be the hunters first, Roxas was sure of that. He would never forget what human hunters had done to him, and his brother, and his clan…and what they had done to Cloud… He grit his teeth, pulling the cloak tighter around his shoulders and face, keeping to the shadows of the buildings they passed as much as possible. The hunters never noticed him, Roxas following them silently through the crisscrossing streets of the human city before suddenly loud music and laughter filled his ears. Perpetrations for the festival the butcher had spoken about were already underway; the delicious scent of roasting duck and turkey, and smoked ham flooding through his senses. There were several deer cooking in the pit fires as well, and a large elk, and Roxas knew the goat would be added to the menu soon as well… _So this is where all the food has disappeared to…_

One of the chefs looked up from where he was stuffing a pig with sweetened apples, smiling and waving to the group of hunters who walked over and greeted him. "Well? Did you have any luck?"

"It's at the butcher shop now. He should bring it by soon."

"Good, good!" the cook replied, nodding his appreciation.

"There's something else, though," another hunter said, taking a step closer to the chef, the other man looking up to meet his eyes, "We weren't the only ones who'd been out there hunting."

"Oh? Was it the traveling caravan? That gypsy boy looked capable of hunting for himself…"

"No, it wasn't the gypsies. It wasn't human at all." The third hunter said, shaking his head.

The fourth hunter crossed his arms over his chest, adding, "We think it might have been wolves."

"Wolves?" the chef asked, then laughed loudly, shaking his head and stuffing a few more slices of apple into the boar. "No one has seen a wolf around here since we first began our settlement here. Sure, we can hear howling on some nights, but they are deep in the woods. They have no reason to come so close to the village."

"But what if they were starting to come closer to the city," the first hunter asked, "Shouldn't we let the council know about it? They could attack our livestock, our children…"

The chef sighed, looking up at the hunters, "Well, do what you think is best. I personally think it would be a waste of the chief's time to go on worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet. If the wolves were going to come to the village they would have done so a long time ago. We've been here for years now…"

"But what about the settlement on the eastern beaches…? You heard about what happened there, right?"

"I heard that the hunters of that village slaughtered a pack of wolves." The chef said, nodding. "I also heard that they managed to burn their fort to the ground." He chuckled, shaking his head and returning to stuffing the pig. "Obviously they weren't the brightest sort."

Two of the hunters looked at one another, one of them shrugging. "I don't have kids, so the possibility for me is just as ridiculous as it is to his guy… If you're really that worried about it then go tell the council. I personally have no ill will against the wolves. They've gotta hunt just like we do, right?"

His friend shook his head, "It doesn't make sense to just wait here until something bad happens. We need to act first before disaster befalls our village the same way it did to the other settlement…"

"I thought that the rumor was they brought disaster upon themselves?" another hunter asked, "Incurring the moon's wrath and all that tripe?"

"And you believe their old folklore for a minute?" the other hunter asked, laughing curtly. "I bet you that settlement burned down because they were careless with their forge, or let one of their fires get out of control. We're not so careless here. What happened to that village had nothing to do with wolves. Now come on, I'm going to tell the council before those bloody beasts end up killing someone…"

Roxas grit his teeth to keep himself from growling as the hunters turned and began walking towards the heart of the city, the chef waving goodbye to them as they went. Senseless, violent humans; they instantly defaulted to wiping out anything they deemed a possible threat. _What am I going to do…_ Roxas thought to himself, his stomach twisting unpleasantly. If the humans were going to warn their council, and the council decided to agree with them and say that the wolves were indeed a threat, then they would come to the mountains and forest in search of the clans. Zack's den was hidden in the side of the mountain, but Axel's den he wasn't sure of. Was it out in the middle of the woods buried deep within a thicket? Or was it obviously noticeable as a den to some animal; a mountain lion, a bear, a wolf… Movement caught his eye, the boy looking over across the courtyard to a nearby shop where humans were buying wares, the laughter echoing in his ears a far too familiar sound. Roxas took a step closer, narrowing his eyes and allowing his vision to reach across the cobblestones to zoom in on the shop. It was a bakery, the shopkeeper laughing and talking to two girls and a boy, offering the younger girl a basket of pastries. She was petite, and had short black hair, and something about her voice drew Roxas closer. The wolf made his way around the edge of the courtyard, keeping himself hidden in the shadows, watching the humans carefully, trying to determine why they were familiar, why his heart felt like lead in his chest. Then, when the girl turned to face him, he recognized her, and the blue-haired girl at her side, and the blonde boy that they were with. _Xion…_ Roxas choked back bile, anger coiling up inside of him so strong he could feel his quicksilver reacting, pulling his cloak around him tightly to hide his glowing skin. The dark-haired girl laughed again, taking a pastry from the basket and offering it to the boy at her side, the blonde dipping down and taking a bite from her hand, his blue eyes watching her with a smile. There was a dark red scar down the side of his face across his eye and cheek. It would never heal or fade; a permanent mark from his former alpha to show he had been banished from their clan for his betrayal. Roxas had wondered if his twin had somehow survived the fire. If any of the villagers had survived the fire… It seemed Ventus, and his human Xion, and their friend Aqua had managed to escape the inferno. If the girls were alive, that meant that Terra was probably alive too…

He watched them from the shadows, fighting inwardly with himself. A part of him wanted to run forward, changing into wolf form as he did so, and rip his brother's throat from his neck. Another part of him was overwhelmed with relief on seeing his twin was alive and safe, and from the look of it, happy…

Roxas, his heart hammering in his chest, turned and ran back towards the entrance of the village, tears stinging his eyes. _Why Ventus, why… Of all the stupid things you could have done, why did you have to fall for that human…_ He ran and ran until finally he reached the gates leading towards the mountains, the wolf slipping unseen behind one of the guards standing watch and fleeing into the fog, releasing the cape from around his shoulders and shifting into a wolf as he ran, his ears listening for any sign that he was being followed. The fog swirled around him as he ran, his ears picking up no sounds other than the fierce beating of his paws against the cool earth, and his ragged breathing, and his racing pulse. It was going to happen again. The humans were going to attack the wolves again, just like before. They made their assumptions and would rather destroy the things that they didn't understand rather than just accepting things as they are and allowing everyone to live in peace… And not only that, but his twin, who he had thought to be dead, was alive and well in the human city. If Ventus heard the rumors of wolves being nearby, would he come searching for them? What would happen if he and Roxas were to meet again? With all of the anger and hate and rage that they felt for one another, would they be able to manage not to kill one another if given the opportunity to do so? Roxas wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself. Not after what Ventus brought upon their clan…not after what happened to Cloud…

Lost to his turbulent thoughts, Roxas practically slammed into Vincent as he leapt over the incline of the mountain pass. The older wolf jolted away in surprise, glaring over at the younger wolf and flicking his tail irritably behind him. The tawny wolf looked over at him apologetically, panting and trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. Paine was there a moment later, the other guard appearing from a hidden spot near one of the rocks jutting out from the mountainside. "Are you alright?" the black wolf asked, her red eyes watching him with mild concern.

"I need to talk to Zack…" Roxas said, looking from her to Vincent. "Is he still at the den?"

Pained looked up at her brother, then Vincent nodded, his black fur rustling across his shoulders and back as the wind picked up, bringing delicious scents to the wolves' noses from the valley below. "What is that?" Paine asked, sniffing the air.

"It's a festival," Roxas replied, "The humans are having a Festival of the Moon tonight. They're preparing a massive feast unlike anything I've ever seen."

"No wonder we're starting to have difficulties hunting," Vincent said absently, "We've never had to actually work to feed our clan before, but lately it seems there have been fewer and fewer animals in the cliffs."

"I'm sure the red clan isn't doing much better." Paine said, her tail swishing behind her as she lifted her ears, listening to the music drifting up through the valley. "Such odd creatures, humans; they never seem to have enough…"

The three wolves stood at the edge of the mountain pass for a long moment, the wind rustling their fur, before Vincent turned and headed back towards the den, Roxas and Paine following after him. When they reached the mouth of the den Zack and Xaldin were waiting for them, the large hunter uncrossing his arms and returning to the confines of the den, the black alpha stepping out to greet them. The two guards returned to their human forms, Roxas shifting as well as he drew closer. Zack greeted his friends then turned to Roxas, violet eyes searching his face questioningly. He could sense something was wrong, taking a step closer to the younger boy. "Did you find anything?"

"I…" Roxas began, but the words died in his throat. What had he found? The humans were going to talk to their council, and there was a possibility that they were going to come searching for the wolf clans, but as far as he could tell Zack's clan was safely hidden in the cliffs. In all honesty he didn't think that they had anything to worry about. And the human chef had mentioned that they had heard howling coming from the woods… "I think that they're going to go searching for Axel's clan. They said they'd heard wolves from the forest, they didn't mention anything about there being wolves actually in the mountains. I've never been to the den in the woods, is it hidden like yours?"

Zack shook his head, "No, it's out in the open. Axel's father was a strong, proud man. They made their den in the hollow of a giant tree. It's sheltered from the elements, but not from human eyes. That is, if they were actually looking for it…"

"We need to go warn him," Roxas said, watching Zack as the alpha crossed his arms lightly against his chest, "If they're exposed and unprepared, and the hunters show up with their rifles, they'd easily be overpowered in their weakened state."

Zack looked away slightly, thinking this over, "It is much harder to fight when you're hungry…"

Roxas nodded, turning to look towards the border between the two clans, listening for any sign that the other wolves were stirring in the forest. He wasn't sure that he would be welcomed, but he had to at least try to talk to Axel about what he knew. He looked back up at Zack, his eyes pleading, "Please, Zack. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Not when we could ban together and push back the humans for good. If we could unite your clans for just a moment, just long enough to sway the humans from attacking…"

 _Unite the clans…_ Roxas' words echoed through Zack just like Rinoa's words had the night before, the alpha shifting his weight from one foot to the other, sighing and letting his mind wander for a moment. He was sure Axel wouldn't exactly be thrilled to see him at this point, if he crossed into the other alpha's territory it might start another battle… "If you can convince Axel to meet me at the border then I will talk with him. I agree that we will need everyone in on this together to drive back the humans from our land. Over the past few months their city has grown vastly in numbers... It would be wise for us to join together, even if it is just for a moment."

Roxas smiled, nodding, "Alright. I'll see what I can do."

"But first, you should sleep." Zack said, clasping him on the shoulder when the younger wolf turned to go, "Sentinel or not, you need to recover your strength. If the humans are looking for a fight, we might need you there to heal someone again…"

Roxas hesitated, then nodded, "I guess you're right." He looked past Zack's shoulder into the den, then turned to look towards the caves on the outer edge of the main den.

"You're not coming inside?" Zack asked, the blonde boy smiling but shaking his head.

"I need some time to think, and I've always done that best when I'm alone." He met Zack's eyes, the alpha watching him with a gentle gaze. "I'll rest for a bit then go to talk to Axel."

The tall, black-headed boy nodded, "Call for me if you need me to come to the border. I'll be there."

"I will," Roxas said, turning and walking up the incline towards the outer caves. He had a lot to think about and a lot of decisions to make before he would know where to even begin with fighting back against a human invasion. His plan last time hadn't exactly been a plan, it had been more along the lines of revenge against those who had attacked his clan and killed his alpha. He didn't regret burning the human fortress to the ground though. That was something he would never regret for as long as he lived. The humans took everything from him, even his own brother. He would never forgive them. And this time, he would rise up and fight back before they had a chance to slaughter the wolves here. Cloud, as gentle and sweet as he had been, had waited far too long before rising up against the humans. It had been a fatal mistake. Roxas wouldn't allow things to be the same here. He would protect the red and black clans, he would fight for Zack and Axel. He had to. It was all he had left to fight for anymore.

-x-x-x-

Roxas slept for several hours, morning turning to late afternoon before the wolf awoke, opening his eyes and looking around the dimly lit cave he had curled up within. He yawned and stretched, popping his joints and shaking out his shoulders, drawing his wolf skin around him and changing as he moved. His golden fur glistened in the sunlight as he exited the cave, his blue eyes alert as he scanned the ridge nearby for any signs of trouble. He walked over to the beginning of the pass, looking down towards the gorge. Now that the mist had cleared he could see the edge of the human city. It was surrounded by a large wooden gate; tall, sturdy logs boxing the town in safely from the mountains and forest beyond. He felt his quicksilver pulsing the longer he stared down at the settlement, his heart clenching in longing. His brother was there, the twin he had lost not to death, but to a small, fragile human girl. He had always believed in unconditional love, but after what had happened to Cloud he wasn't sure if he would be able to let go and forgive his brother. The more he thought about the other wolf the more he thought about tearing him apart limb from limb. He had taken his true love away from him, and he wanted Ventus to pay for it. He couldn't bring himself to imaging hurting Xion, but he could definitely see himself fighting his brother. Hopefully Ventus wouldn't give him the opportunity. They'd never fought full-on before. With his brother's foxlike powers and his blessing from the moon he was sure it was a fight that wouldn't end until one of them was dead. The last two survivors of the eastern sea-wolves, destined to destroy one another. It twisted Roxas' heart to think about it.

The tawny wolf turned away from the human village and began towards the border between the mountains and the forest, his feet quickly carrying him across the scent-marker between the two clan's territories and into the woods. He kept his senses on high alert, ever-watchful for members of the red clan. More specifically he was keeping an eye out for either Axel or Lightning; the wolf he was looking for, and also the wolf he was hoping he would not run into while he was walking through unfriendly territory. He was sure the guard was still furious with him for attacking her. He didn't want to find out the extent of her wrath.

Several squirrels were chattering in the treetops, birds calling back and forth, flying in and out of the treetops high above the forest floor. Roxas' steps were light and nimble as he sniffed the air, searching for the den he had been told about, carvel into the trunk of a large tree. After several minutes of searching, something caught his attention. There was a rustling in the underbrush, accompanied by soft growling and hushed whispers.

"Don't make a sound, he'll see you…"

"But I want to talk to him!"

"No you don't, Serah, your sister will be furious…"

"Oh, Vanille, you know you can't stop her once she's set her mind on something…"

Roxas took a step closer towards the voices, the girls gasping softly and peeking out from behind a grove of blackberry bushes, Roxas meeting eyes with Serah, then Kairi, then Vanille. The two sisters and their friend were crouching together, their eyes watching him curiously, the girls' hands and mouths stained a dark blue-black color from where they had been eating the berries. "At least turn back into a wolf before you go talk to him…" Vanille said, looking down at Serah with distress across her face.

"He's seen me out of wolf form before," the girl replied, stepping out of the thicket and walking towards the tawny wolf, her movements cautious. Roxas exhaled slowly then took to his human form, stepping forward to greet her.

"You're doing alright? All of you?" he asked, the girl nodding and looking up at him with shimmering eyes.

"Yes we are, thanks to you." Serah replied, reaching out and touching the boy's hand with a smile. "You rescued me from Xaldin, I don't know how I can ever thank you…"

"And you saved us from Paine and Vincent," Kairi said, taking a step closer, covering her chest with her hands shyly, "Thank you…"

Vanille stood behind the blackberry bush, huffing softly, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched her friends, "Stupid girls…"

"What are you doing here?" Serah asked, squeezing the boy's hand lightly.

"Actually I was looking for Axel," the blonde replied, the girls exchanging glances, Kairi and Serah smiling at one another.

"He's at the den," Serah said, taking a step back towards the blackberry bushes and tugging Roxas' hand, "We can take you to him."

"Do you really think that your sister is going to let the little rogue that beat her up anywhere near our alpha?" Vanille asked incredulously, Roxas looking over at her with worried eyes.

"So you heard about that," the boy said, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head. "I came back and healed her, she should be fine now…"

"That's not the point!" Vanille said, looking away angrily, Kairi walking over to her.

"You know he only hurt Lightning because she was hurting Yuffie…" the petite red-head said, looking up at her friend. "Would you have rather let our sister kill Yuffie? I'm glad Roxas stopped her. I hate it that we fight all the time…"

Serah nodded, looking from her little sister back to Roxas, "We all hate the fighting. We wish it would stop, but our older sister and brother…they just won't let things go…"

"Zack doesn't want to fight anymore either." Roxas said, all three girls looking over at him with wide eyes.

"You talked to Zack about everything?" Kairi asked, the blonde nodding.

"He said that he didn't believe me at first, he said that he and Axel used to be friends, and he thought that Axel would have come to him and talked to him about what was happening…"

"Stubborn alpha's…" Serah said with an exasperated sigh. "You're right. Our brother and Zack used to be good friends, and we used to be friends with Yuffie, Rinoa, and Tifa…"

"But we can't be friends anymore," Kairi said, Vanille sighing softly and uncrossing her arms, sadness across her face.

"No with things the way they are now, anyway," the pink-haired girl said softly, Kairi reaching over and taking her hand gently, "We used to play together, and talk about boys, and braid one another's hair. They were like sisters to us." The girl sniffed lightly, reaching up to wipe her face. "I miss Rinoa…"

Roxas, encouraged by the red wolves' words, said, "Zack wants to talk to Axel about uniting the clans, he wants to put an end to this senseless war…" The girls looked up at him with a varying mix of surprise and excitement, "Do you think you could help me talk to Axel?"

"Of course we will!" Kairi said happily, Vanille blinking and shaking her head, looking down at her friend.

"Axel's not the one I would worry about," she said softly, "In all reality, it's Lightning who's most likely not to let go of her grudge against the other clan."

"That's true," Serah said, letting go of Roxas' hand gently and turning her back to him, looking over at her little sister and Vanille, "Axel has talked fleetingly about ending the battles, but Lightning has squashed the idea every time. She's not the type to forgive…"

"We have to at least try," Roxas said, stepping up to Serah's side and looking from her to Kairi to Vanille, "Soon we're all going to have bigger things to worry about besides quarreling with one another. The humans are planning on driving your clan out of the forest. I'm not sure when, but I know it will be sometime soon. We have to act before they can…"

Vanille stepped around the bushes, Kairi following behind her as she stepped closer, the three red wolves clustering around Roxas. "The humans are coming here? Why?"

"They saw the goat we'd eaten, they think we might be a threat…and they're not going to sit around and wait to find out."

The girls looked between one another, then Vanille said, "Alright, let's go talk to Axel. If we can convince him then he might be able to convince Lightning."

Roxas nodded, following after the girls as they shifted into their wolf forms and began running deeper into the forest. The further into the woods they ran the more Roxas began to feel like they were being watched, the tawny wolf looking around and spotting red wolves standing between the trees, watching them with gleaming eyes. The girls led him further still, until finally they reached a massive, towering, ancient tree that had been hollowed out to resemble a cave, Kairi changing back into human form and stepping towards the entrance. A tall, muscled boy walked out and greeted her, the petite girl looking up at him and asking, "Wakka, where is Axel?"

"He's in the back, talking with Reno." The guard said looking over at Roxas. "What is he doing here?"

"He's here to help," Serah said, stepping forward and allowing herself to fall out of wolf form, stopping Wakka as he took a step towards the rogue. "Wakka, please. It's important."

The guard growled, "If your sister were here…"

"But she's not," Serah said, "And we are the alpha's sisters too. You have no say in what Kairi and I can or cannot do."

"And don't even think about going after Vanille," Kairi said to the guard, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or Roxas."

The guard growled, snapping his fangs and turning his back to the girls. "Do what you want, but don't come crawling to me for help when Lightning goes after your little rogue!"

The sisters exchanged a glance, then Kairi walked past Wakka into the den, Serah holding out her hand and beckoning for Vanille and Roxas to follow her. The other red wolf stepped forward, shedding her wolf form and reaching out to take her friend's hand. Roxas hesitated, then allowed himself to relax into human form as well, following after the girls, glancing cautiously up at Wakka as he stepped past the angry guard and into the den. It was warm and smelt of earth and wood, Roxas looking up into the inner sanctum of the petrified tree. It was almost like stone, though there were signs of life crawling up the walls of bark; ivy and several smaller plants making their way up the towering tree in long, wavy tendrils. Leaves cushioned his footsteps, several large lush piles of foliage spread across the floor of the den in much the same way that the mountain wolves used their furs. This clan was truly a pack of wolves in tune with the forest, their home made entirely out of materials that their territory supplied naturally. Maybe that was why they were so affected by the humans hunting on their land, they drew everything from their territory, and the humans were taking it away from them. They had nowhere else to draw their survival from, the forest was all they knew…

Roxas looked up when he heard footsteps approaching, the leaves beneath their feet shuffling softly like a breeze through the treetops, Axel appearing out of the shadows of the inner den with Kairi at his side. His green eyes were piercing, distrust clearly evident across his face. "So, you've come to warn us about the humans? And what makes you so sure that they're planning on invading us in the first place. The settlement has been there for years and not once have they ever ventured into the woods longer than they needed to hunt. Why should this time be any different."

"I know because I followed them back to their village, and I heard them speaking to their fellow men." Roxas said, taking a step towards the alpha, the red-headed boy watching him warily. "Please, Axel. Zack has agreed to help with this. We need the clans united. It's the only way we'll be able to rise up against the hunters…"

Axel took a step forward, anger flashing across his face, but Kairi took his hand, the boy looking down at his younger sister with questioning eyes. "Please, brother… He says that Zack doesn't want to fight anymore. He wants to make peace with you…"

Serah stepped forward as well, Vanille watching her with worried eyes. "Axel, remember what it was like when we were kids. You loved Zack, he was like an older brother to you. Don't you want to be like that again?"

"Girls, it's not that simple…" Axel said, his tone strained as he forced himself not to snap at his little sisters. "…There are some things that cannot be so easily forgiven…"

"Don't you hear what your sisters are saying, Axel? What Roxas is saying?" Vanille asked, taking a step towards the alpha. "The humans are coming to kill us. They're going to wipe out our clan without a second thought. And instead of banning together with our fellow wolves you would rather wait here stubbornly to die instead of accepting needed help of your former friend?"

"An alpha's pride…" Roxas said softly. Was that what had gotten Cloud killed? His pride as an alpha? His unwillingness to accept the fact that there were outside forces working against him that he could not control, and instead of rising up against them he chose to ignore them… A mistake which had proven fatal to their entire clan… The blonde boy stepped over to the alpha, reaching up and wrapping his arm around the red-head's neck, pulling him in close. The other boy watched him, surprise shining in his eyes. "I'll show you what happens when you let your pride get in the way of protecting the ones you love." He leaned forward and pulled Axel closer, pressing their foreheads together, feeling his quicksilver burning like a blazing inferno within his chest, heart, and lungs. It spread out and passed through him, runes appearing across his skin, silver light illuminating the den as he willed the moon to allow him to show the other wolf his memories, to show Axel what happened when an alpha refused to act. His heartbeat elevated, his blue eyes turned into liquid mercury, and he opened his mind to the red alpha. Their lunar souls clicked, and everything faded into darkness.

-x-x-x-

Roxas followed after Ventus silently, careful to keep out of his twin's line of sight, far enough downwind that he could smell the other wolf but his brother couldn't smell him. Ventus made his way into the human city, passing through the gates unnoticed by the sleepy guards standing watch, one of the humans lifting his hand and yawning. Roxas hesitated then followed suit, keeping to his brother's paw prints to avoid leaving two sets of tracks. The villagers had pet dogs as companions, so their tracks shouldn't seem too uncommon, but one could never be too sure. Staying just around the corner from his brother, he followed the other wolf through the back alleys across the human city until they reached the shop where they had seen the human girl before. This time was different. Ventus immediately took his human form, walking around the side of the house and knocking on a side door, the door opening after a moment and soft laughter greeting the hidden wolf's ears. "Ven! You're going to catch a cold walking around without any clothes on like that! Come inside."

"I've told you before," the boy said as he stepped inside, "I can't wear clothes all the time, they'll just shred when I shift forms."

Roxas waited until the door had been closed for several minutes before he walked over to the side of the house, pressing against the cold stone and listening for his twin's voice. He was still talking to the human girl, her laughter echoing through the house lightly. "Ven, you're so ridiculous…"

"I'm serious, Xion. Come with me. I'll prove it to you."

"You want me to come with you, in the middle of the night, to the far side of the beach? There's no way Aqua and Terra would let me out of the city that late, let alone go looking for a pack of wolves…"

"Are they upstairs?" the boy asked, Roxas listening to his footsteps creaking across the wooden floor.

"Aqua's upstairs mixing potions. Terra was out with the hunters again I think. They were going to the blacksmith to ask about having more rifles made."

"Like your hunters need more guns…" Ventus said, scoffing. "It's not firepower they need, it's _aim_ …"

Xion laughed again, then said softly, "Ven…"

Roxas listened intently for a moment, then pulled his ear away, looking at the side of the house in disbelief. Were they kissing? He moved towards the side door, shifting into his human form and crouching down to peer through the keyhole, his hands pressed against the door lightly. His brother, kissing a human? It was unthinkable! Ventus would never… But sure enough, his brother and the small dark-headed human were locked in a long embrace, the girl clutching his shoulders with trembling fingers. When they broke away, the girl was blushing, Ventus chuckling softly and stroking her cheek. "Don't you trust me?" he asked, the girl looking up at him with shimmering eyes.

"You know I do, Ven…but still, they're not going to let me go wandering the beach in the middle of the night…"

"Xion? Who are you talking to?" another voice called from upstairs, an older girl appearing from the staircase on the left side of the room, yawning and running a hand through her bright blue hair. "Oh, I thought Terra might be back. When did you get here, Ventus?" She eyed him up and down, placing a hand on her hip. "Naked again, I see."

The blonde huffed, and said, "I've told you a million times, Aqua. It's pointless for me to wear clothes…"

"Yeah, yeah. You're a wolf. You'll just tear them off. I know." The girl said, rolling her eyes, cradling several large vials in her arms as she walked across the living room towards a table near the entrance to the kitchen, Roxas shifting slightly to follow her movements through the keyhole. He could smell herbs when she moved, was she a medicine woman? The potions she had looked to be similar to the salves that their medicine man had used years before… "So when are you going to give us some real proof of your little story?"

"We were just talking about that," Xion said, covering her smile with her hand. "Ventus wants me to go with him to the far end of the beach by the cliffs. He says that's where his den is."

"You can meet my brother, and our alpha, and everyone else in the clan," Ventus said, looking from Xion to Aqua, "You may believe I'm fooling you, but you have to believe that if there is an entire clan of wolves _that_ can't be faked…"

Aqua sighed, leaning back against the table and looking over at the boy. "I will admit, an illusion that grand would be something barely possible by a coven of witches, let alone one little witch out by himself trying to have some fun."

"I'm not a witch, I'm a _wolf_!"

Aqua shrugged, lifting her hand, green light flowing around her fingertips, vines sprouting from her palm. "To each their own."

Ventus shook his head, sighing exasperatedly at the blue-haired girl, looking down at Xion. "You believe me, don't you Xion?"

The girl looked over at her friend, the witch raising an eyebrow at her but remaining silent. The petite girl hesitated, then looked up at Ventus, saying, "Maybe if your brother were to come here, maybe then Aqua would start to believe…"

Roxas, who had been so caught up in listening to his twin and the humans' exchange, jolted when he suddenly felt someone at his back, turning to meet eyes with a tall, dark-headed human, the boy looking down at him curiously. "Hey Ventus, did Xion lock us out again?"

The blonde boy backed away, eyes wide as he stared up at the human, the boy blinking at his intense gaze before stepping forward and knocking on the door. "Hey Xion, it's Terra. Let me in. Ventus is with me."

The door opened a moment later, Roxas backing away another few steps, Xion peeking out into the alley and saying to the other human, "What are you talking about, Ventus is here with me…" When Terra motioned down the alleyway and Xion turned to look at Roxas her eyes went wide. "Ven? Come out here…"

The blonde boy peeked out his head a moment later as well, looking over at Roxas and grinning broadly before stepping past Xion and Terra, walking over to his brother. "Hey Roxas! You finally decided to come join me, huh?"

Roxas bit his cheek to keep from lashing out at his brother. Ventus had told these humans so much. He'd told them about his clan, and the location of their den. He'd revealed to them his powers, and therefore had revealed their clan secret of being blessed by the moon… "What are you doing, Ventus?" Roxas asked, his words dark and lost. "You've betrayed us all…"

Ventus arched his brow, taking a step closer to his brother and reaching out to touch his arm. "Roxas, don't talk like that. I would never betray our clan, but these are my friends now. I want them to know about us, about our family…"

"You're wrong, Ventus! They are not your friends! They're humans!" Roxas' skin prickled, runes appearing across his skin like hot brands, silver shining in his blue eyes. "You have to leave this place. Leave this place and never come back. You can't be friends with humans! It'll destroy us all!"

"You sound just like that old man, Cid! And Cloud too! Where's your sense of adventure?" his brother asked, Roxas wrenching away from the hand that touched his arm.

"Where is your sense of morals! Of value for your heritage! Your culture! You have no idea what could happen if they decided to use what they now know about us against us!"

"They would never do that!" Venus said, gnashing his fangs, "Xion, Aqua, and Terra are different! They're not humans, they're witches! They can use magic just like I can! They're just like you and me…"

"They're not like us! They are _not wolves_!" Roxas shouted, morphing into his golden fur and turning back towards the gates of the village, running off down the streets even as his twin called after him, pleading with him to come back. To stay with him. To be friends with the humans. To be happy… Roxas raced back through the city, knocking over one of the dozing guards as he passed, the boy falling on his back with a loud gasp, the other guard looking over at him and laughing, thinking that his friend had fallen over in his sleep. Roxas' feet carried him swiftly across the sands, back to the safety of his den, where Cloud was waiting for him. The older boy held him as he trembled and recounted the night's events, the golden alpha silent after Roxas had finished his story, his sapphire eyes thoughtful as he looked out across the ocean. "Cloud?" the younger boy finally asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," Cloud replied, smiling down at Roxas, who was looking up at him incredulously. "Oh, come on now Roxas. Don't you trust your brother? Ventus is a part of this clan, and though sometimes he can he rough and brash he cares about us, about you, and even about me. He hasn't…betrayed us. He's just finding out more about who he really is. He's curious about the humans. I was too, at first. My curiosity just happens to have been sated a bit sooner that his. You seem to be like me in that sense. But just because your brother is currently infatuated with a human girl doesn't mean that he's going to do any harm by spending time with her."

"But what about the others?" Roxas said, looking into the depths of the den, noticing there were several pairs of eyes watching them from the shadows. "Our clan mates have been talking, I've heard them whispering when you're not nearby. They worry about the humans; they're on edge, uneasy. They are waiting for you to rise up and cast them out of our land. The humans are expanding further and further up the beach. If they continue, soon they will discover our den…"

Cloud sighed, then said, "I will admit, it does bother me that Ventus mentioned bringing that human girl to meet the clan. I don't think that would be a wise decision on his part."

Roxas nodded, "Then do something about it! Talk to him, you're his alpha!"

Cloud looked down at Roxas, a soft smile across his lips. "Alpha or not, you hold far more sway over your brother than I ever have. See if you can convince him not to bring her here. We'll worry about the human expansion when the time comes. Until then, there's no reason to fight."

"Cloud, I'm worried, I don't think you understand Ventus the way I do. When he's said he's going to do something, he does it. That girl, she will…"

The alpha shushed him, leaning forward and pressing his lips against the younger boys, Roxas blushing and closing his eyes, giving into the kiss. When Cloud pulled away he whispered softly, "Don't worry about Ventus, or the humans. Let him play around with his little human; he'll come back to us once he's grown tired of her."

Roxas swallowed nervously, looking away from the other boy and back down the beach towards the human village. _No, Ventus won't grow tired of her. I've never seen him act that way around anyone ever before. I think he really does have feelings for her… Serious feelings. Like the feelings I have for Cloud…_ A terrible sensation washed over Roxas the longer he thought about his brother and the witches he had made friends with. He could sense something ominous approaching, something he couldn't foresee. His quicksilver churned within him like the tide, his eyes moving to watch the waves washing languidly across the beach. Cloud pulled him close, stroking his hair, sensing his sentinel was distressed. Slowly Roxas relaxed against the other boy, exhaling slowly, allowing Cloud to soothe his thoughts. The alpha nuzzled his cheek, tilting his head up and kissing him again, his lunar soul wrapping around Roxas in a gentle embrace.

They eventually fell asleep together, and despite the loving arms draped securely around him Roxas had a terrible dream. He dreamt of the beach covered in the blood of both humans and wolves, the ocean tinted a sickening red. He dreamt of Cloud clinging to life as he clutched his hand, the human city burning like wildfire in the background. He dreamt of being powerless again, unable to do anything to save the boy he loved… If only he had done more to convince Cloud to act. If only the older boy's heart hadn't been so understanding and tender towards Ventus and the humans… If only things had been different. The day before the destruction of their clan would pass by like the calm before the storm, and then, on the third and final day, hell would come to earth. It would be the end of everything, and the beginning of Roxas' life as a rogue.

-x-x-x-

Roxas pushed away from Axel, his heartbeat pounding in his ears and he wiped away his tears, Axel reaching out and touching his shoulder, the red alpha stirred by Roxas' shared memories. "Your alpha…"

"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you chose to act for your clan. Right now, what will you do? Will you chose to save them?" Roxas looked over his shoulder at the other boy, gritting his teeth. "Now, are you going to fight? Or are you going to wait around for everyone you know and love to be wiped off the face of the planet without so much as even rising to your feet to fight back?"

Axel growled lightly in the back of his throat, then looked over at Kairi, then Serah, then over at Vanille. "Alright. I'll go talk to Zack. I'm not saying that we're uniting the clans, but I will agree to a temporary truce while we deal with this human menace."

Roxas sighed, reaching up and clasping his hand over the fingers clutching his shoulder. "Thank you…" he said, feeling something inside his chest tighten then release. He pulled away from the other wolf's grasp, forcing himself not to cry as he pushed his memories back down, stepping back towards the entrance of the den and calling back to the other wolf, "Zack said that he would meet us back at the border if you decided you were going to join with him. Let's head that way, I'll be nightfall soon."

Axel nodded, hugging his sisters for a moment before saying goodbye to the two girls and then Vanille, the alpha following after Roxas as the three girls watched with hopeful eyes.

"Do you really think Axel and Zack will be able to work together?" Kairi asked, looking up at her friend.

"I don't know," Vanille said, "But I think that Roxas will be able to keep them both in check. He has a power unlike anything any of us have ever dealt with before."

"What did he do just a moment ago?" Kairi asked, "His eyes turned silver, and then Axel just sort of faded out…"

Serah walked a few paces towards the entrance of the cave, her eyes picking out a flash of red and gold disappearing through the forest in the direction of the mountainside. "I don't know what he did, but whatever it was, it was just what Axel needed." The wind howled through the trees, echoing the piercing howl that ripped through the forest, the girls listening with wide eyes.

Vanille smiled, then said, "That's Roxas, he's calling for Zack…"

Another howl rose up beside the first, the girls recognizing the sound of their alpha's voice. "Axel's calling for him too."

After a moment another howl broke through the air, the girls smiling and laughing lightly, looking between one another and clasping hands. "That was Zack's howl," Serah said excitedly, "He's going to meet them! They're actually going to…"

" _What_ is going on?" a voice barked from outside, Lightning appearing in the mouth of the den a moment later, her fur standing on end as she glared at the other red wolves. "What is our brother up to?"

"He's saving our lives," Serah said, taking a step towards her older sister, the wolf growling at her and cutting her with her eyes.

"Wakka said the rogue has been here. What is he up to now?" she asked, looking towards the border, her tail lashing the air violently. Vanille and Kairi exchanged a worried glance, Serah taking a step forward and reaching out a hand for her sister.

The wolf snapped at her, the younger girl pulling her hand back and watching the older wolf with sorrow in her eyes. "Lightning, leave Roxas alone…"

The wolf pawed at the floor of the den, kicking up leaves and dirt, her fangs and claws flashing in the fading sunlight. "I'll get that little rogue if it's the last thing I do…" She turned abruptly and ran out of the hollowed tree, Serah shouting after her and shifting forms, running after her sister as the rose-colored wolf disappeared out of sight. Howling echoed through the woods, and then faded as the wind passed unseen through the trees, the sun slowly sinking behind the horizon as night descended upon the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon the humans will rise up against the wolves, but who will survive in the end? Roxas' clan wasn't so lucky, but with the forest wolves and the mountain wolves combining forces will they have enough power to drive back the enemy forces? And when Axel and Zack finally hear the ending of Roxas' story, will they be able to handle the truths that the young rogue will reveal?
> 
> Ventus, Xion, Aqua, and Terra have found a new home at the human settlement in the gorge, but when Roxas and Ventus come face to face, what will happen? Will it shatter their brotherhood forever? Or will they be able to overcome their differences once and for all…
> 
> And who is the strange white wolf that has appeared in the human city? Could it be that the moon is watching over the struggling clans, and has sent them a protector in their time of need?
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter of Quicksilver!


	7. Traveler

When Roxas and Axel reached the border Zack was waiting for them, Paine and Vincent watching carefully from the background. The black alpha turned and looked over his shoulder, waving off the guards with a flick of his tail. The guards exchanged a glance then walked off, back towards the den, looking over their shoulders as they walked away. Axel hesitated a moment then stepped over to the other alpha, the two wolves standing across from one another, the border seeming to separate them by an unseen force. Roxas watched the alphas for a moment then stepped up to Axel's shoulder before crossing the border into the mountain wolf's territory, Zack looking over at him, tilting his ears towards the tawny wolf. "What now?" the black alpha asked.

Roxas looked between Zack and Axel, and then replied, "Now, you two need to agree that no matter what happens from here on out you two will not fight one another."

Zack nodded, "I can agree to that. I would be pointless for us to argue right now. I will not worry about our clans' quarrel until after the humans have been dealt with."

"I agree as well," Axel replied, nodding. "We can settle our differences later, when we're not under an immediate threat of extinction…"

The black alpha stepped back, allowing Axel to cross the border into his territory, Roxas watching them for just a moment before turning and walking up the incline towards the cliffs, his ears and eyes searching for any signs of movement on the mountain ridge. When they neared the area where the heard of goats had been Roxas spotted a few of the creatures grazing several yards away, the beasts glancing around now and then as if on the lookout for the hunters that had been there before. Zack walked up to his side, Axel following closely behind the other alpha. They waited and listened, looking down into the gorge, sniffing the air. "So, we're going into the human village?" Zack asked, Roxas looking over at him.

"Yes, I think it would be better if we knew more details about their attack. If the hunters are planning on coming for us soon there will be word around town of their plans. We should go and investigate, listen for any talk about their hunting party…"

"Axel!" a voice shouted angrily, the wolves turning to look behind them as Lightning raced up the mountainside towards them, Serah chasing after her.

"Lightning?" the red alpha asked, walking over to meet her, the girl glaring at him furiously. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing!" the wolf asked, looking over at Zack and Roxas distastefully. "What are you doing talking with them? Don't you realize they're the enemy?"

Axel sighed, "Now is not the time, there are bigger things to worry about…"

"Bigger things to worry about?" his sister asked incredulously, gnashing her teeth and snapping at the rogue standing beside the dark alpha. "The only thing you should be worrying about is _him_! He's an outsider! He can't be trusted! Don't listen to his lies!"

"Lightning, wait!" Serah said, running up to her sister's side, "You aren't listening to me! Roxas is helping Axel! He's not lying…"

"Where is the proof of this?" Lightning barked, turning on the younger girl, Serah yelping and backing away with her ears lowered. "We have no reason to believe anything he says; Zack is a fool for trusting in him so easily! And you are too!"

"If you don't believe that I'm telling the truth then come with us." Roxas said, the guard looking over at him and blinking in surprise. "What? It's the simplest solution to this. You don't believe I'm trying to help, you don't believe the humans are planning on coming to destroy your clan…so…come with us and find out for yourself."

Lightning shifted, and then looked from Roxas to Axel. "You're going into the human city? How will you disguise yourself? Don't you think the humans will notice a bunch of wolves wandering the streets?"

"We're not going as wolves," Roxas cut in, the red wolves looking over at him as he spoke. "We're going to enter the city as human travelers who have come to participate in the Festival of the Moon. No one will question us, or stop us to ask questions. Humans are traveling from all over the country to come to this festival. It will be the perfect cover while we wander the city and listen for word about the hunting party's intentions."

"And how on earth do you plan on us blending in if we're walking around naked?" Lightning huffed, pawing at the ground angrily.

"I think I should be able to help with that." A voice said softly from the direction of the mountain wolves' den, the wolves turning to see the guards had returned with Rinoa, Xaldin and Yuffie standing in the background, watching silently. "I've been to the city many times; I have clothes that you can use during your investigation."

Lightning, not sure how to argue further, turned her head away and muttered something under her breath then eventually said, "Fine. I'll go along with this little scheme. But when it turns out I'm right, I never want to see this rogue on our territories ever again!"

Roxas looked from the rose-colored wolf to Rinoa, then over to Axel and Zack. They exchanged a glance, then nodded, the black wolf speaking up. "Alright, if it turns out Roxas has been lying to us we'll cast him out of our territories. But if it turns out he has been telling the truth all along, you have to help us fight back against the humans, and there will be no more arguments amongst ourselves until this hunting problem has been taken care of."

Lightning hesitated, and then nodded her consent. Rinoa clasped her hands together, looking between the wolves before saying, "Alright, let's get everyone dressed up for the festival!"

-x-x-x-

Roxas pulled his cloak around his shoulders a bit tighter, his boots thudding against the ground softly as he made his way into the village. Zack was at his side, Axel following just after the other alpha with Lightning whispering to him softly, Rinoa and Xaldin trailing behind slowly to look like they weren't in the same party. Serah and Yuffie had stayed behind, the alphas concerned that the smallest of the wolves might be put in danger they wouldn't be capable of dealing with. The two wolves had watched them leave with worried eyes, standing beside one another in an almost comforting way. Roxas turned and looked over his shoulder, Axel catching his eyes and Lightning turning from her brother to look over at him as well. "From here on out we need to split up. Keep your ears and eyes open for any sign of the hunters or any talk of wolves. Meet back here before the moon has left its peak in the sky."

Axel nodded, Lightning looking up at the moon shining brightly overhead. "We have a while to look around, let's see if there is any truth in the golden wolf's words…"

Roxas turned his attention back towards the gates, the human guards welcoming them warmly and allowing them into the city, Zack looking down at Roxas after they had passed through, asking softly, "Where to now?"

"The inner city," Roxas said, "Into the heart of the festival."

The dark alpha walked with Roxas, Rinoa and Xaldin branching off towards the marketplace while Axel and Lightning walked off towards the city square Roxas had been to before. The entire settlement smelt like fine wine and honeyed meats, the blonde swallowing and forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. He wasn't here to enjoy himself; he was here to find answers. The two boys walked deeper and deeper into the city, various humans offering them treats and food, trying to sell their wares and laughing heartily as they poured out of taverns, singing songs. "I've never seen so many humans," Zack said, looking around with wonder, "Where do they all come from? They must have traveled from villages to the north and south…"

"This festival is apparently a huge event," Roxas said, looking up at the dark alpha, "humans travel from all over to come celebrate it." Suddenly the street they had been walking down opened up into a massive courtyard four times as big as the ones the chef's had been using before, Roxas looking around with wide eyes. This place was massive, there had to be information hidden here, if only he searched for it. "I think we should split up and look around this area. There has to be someone here who knows something about the hunters…"

Zack nodded, "Alright, I'll keep an eye out for you. If I don't see you, I'll meet you back at the gates."

Roxas nodded, the taller boy turning and fading into the crowd, leaving Roxas to search alone. He walked around the edge of the courtyard until he stumbled upon a group of burly men who were arm-wrestling, several girls watching and cheering them on with laughter and giggles. Suddenly one of the humans slammed another man's arm down onto the table, a roar of approval echoing up from the table, one of the girls offering the victor a large jug of mead. He toasted his friends then gulped down the drink, grinning broadly and boasting, "See! I told ye so! Best in all the land!"

"I wouldn't say _all_ the land," another man said, scoffing lighting, "But the best here? Aye, ye probably be so!"

Roxas, finding his window of opportunity, said, "Oh sure, you're the best at arm-wrestling, but what about hunting?"

The man lifted his tankard, saying loudly, "Ah, not this again! Going on and on about hunting them wolves in the forest… This here festival ain't about hunting down them wolves, it's about enjoying yerself! Having a drink, finding ye a nice sultry maid…" He reached over and grabbed one of the girls' waists, the maid giggling and pushing his hand away. "If ye'r wanting to know about that hunting party, go to the inn on the corner, right down there." He swung his drink off towards the inn. "I hear they're gathering young lads to go with them, they might still be looking for youngin's like ye to go with them on their little escapade…"

Several of the men laughed, Roxas ducking out of sight and heading towards the inn. So, the hunters had been recruiting for their hunting party. That didn't bode well. With all of the people who had gathered here for the festival, that could mean that there were several more hunters than normal who would be volunteering their services to their brethren city. Roxas found the inn easily; several large men throwing back chairs and starting a bar fight in the middle of the large tavern, girls screaming and skittering around with their dresses pulled up off of the floor to avoid the mess. The brawl ended a moment later, the men laughing heartily and helping one another up, patting one another on the back. "You're getting old, my boy…"

"Not as old as you! You've got the reflexes of a mule!"

Roxas stepped past them, wandering over to the bar. The barkeep looked up, shaking his head, "You're too young to be drinking, boy…"

"I'm not here to drink," Roxas said, resting his arm on the bar. "I heard there's a group of boys who are going to be hunting wolves? I wanted to know more about it…"

"Ah, young lads, always so eager to kill," the barkeep said with a sigh, "The hunting party's 'round the side of the bar there, in the back room. See to it that you don't let them talk you into doing something you wouldn't normally do, boy. It's not a game to be hunting down the moon's servants, not when we're supposed to be celebrating the moon…"

"Keep yer mouth shut, old-timer," a man called from the side room. He had been listening the whole time it appeared, the hunter chewing on a strip of jerky and looking over at Roxas. "So, you want to know about hunting down wolves, huh? Come with me…"

Roxas turned away from the barkeep and walked over to the hunter, his skin crawling as the human wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into the room, several men turning to look back at him as he entered, Roxas trying to keep himself from coughing as smoke filled his lungs. "Who's this then?" A man near the back of the room asked, puffing at his pipe with a dark grin. "Another young blood ready to kill some nasty beasts?"

"I really just wanted to know about it," Roxas said, coughing lightly, trying to formulate a story off of the top of his head. "My…my older brother might want to join in on the hunting party, but we have only heard rumors about what's being planned…"

"Ah yes, rumors have been flying around the city, I'm sure," the man with the pipe said, crossing one of his legs over his knee, puffing at his pipe for a moment before saying, "Well, there's not much to it really. We're gathering as many men as we can, then we're marching up the valley to the woods where the wolves reside, and we're going to find them, and kill them all."

Roxas swallowed, "A-and, when exactly would the hunting party be leaving to go hunt down these wolves?"

"Later tonight, if we're able. Before dawn breaks." The hunter replied, Roxas tensing up. The man at his side seemed to notice, laughing and patting his back.

"That's right, lad, you'd best let your brother know we're leaving as soon as possible, otherwise he might miss out on the fun!"

Roxas nodded, backing out of the room, his hands trembling as he pulled his cloak tighter around himself and dashed out of the inn. His blood was like ice as it pumped through his veins. _Later tonight? But that only gives us a few hours to figure out how to stop this…_

Suddenly Roxas sensed something, the wolf looking up, searching through the crowd for something familiar. There was a girl walking towards him, laughter in her eyes, her blue hair shining in the firelight. "There you are! I thought I'd lost you in all the commotion. Isn't Xion with you?" Roxas stared up at the witch, his stomach twisting uneasily. He hadn't expected to run into the witches on this trip, he hadn't been on the lookout for them like he had been last time. "Ventus? What's wrong?" Aqua asked, taking a step towards the boy and reaching out to touch his shoulder. Roxas growled before he could even think about stopping himself, Aqua wrenching her hand back and searching through the shadows of Roxas' hood. "Ven? What…" And then, as Roxas looked up and she could fully see his face, she covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with panic. Roxas didn't share the same scar his twin did, so where once their identities had been undistinguishable to outsiders, now they were easily told apart. "Roxas…" the girl whispered, "You…you're alive…"

"Yes, a pity we weren't _all_ wiped out when your hunters came for us." Roxas snarled at the girl, taking a step forward, the witch crying out and backing away several steps.

"Roxas, we never meant for that to happen, it was a misunderstanding! The hunters acted before we could do anything to stop it…"

"I don't want to hear it!" Roxas snapped, growling angrily as he glared at the other girl, his eyes churning with quicksilver as his pulse banged relentlessly inside his head. "You and your friends destroyed _everything_!"

The witch turned and fled through the crowd, Roxas stopping himself from following her, trying to calm down enough that his quicksilver would return to lying dormant inside of him. He hadn't imagined he would become so angry at the witch, but then again, he'd never imagined talking to anyone other than Ventus or Xion before. Aqua had always seemed kind…but she was one of the witches who had pulled his family apart and destroyed his clan. When he thought about Aqua, he thought about Cloud lying lip against the beach, blood pouring out of his side as he gasped for his final breaths. Roxas clenched his fists, turning and walking through the streets, passing through the crowd unseen, the sound of his boots the only thing revealing he was even there. After he'd calmed down a bit, Roxas realized he could feeling something again, something odd. It was that uneasy feeling of knowing someone was watching you. Someone you couldn't see. This was a very unusual sensation for the tawny wolf, as most of the time he was the one hiding in shadows and watching other people. With the roles reversed it was quickly putting Roxas on edge, his blue eyes searching through the crowd for any signs of Xion, or Terra, or his brother. He stopped walking, turning in a full circle. He saw no signs of the other witches, or his twin. He flattened his back against the side of a house, trying to sense where the feeling was coming from. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, but he was beginning to realize the gaze wasn't unfriendly, it was just foreign. He could tell it wasn't one of the red or black wolves. _Then who…?_

As Roxas continued to search the passing humans a boy caught his eye. He had long, white hair and piercing ice-blue eyes. The boy was standing adjacent from him, hiding in the shadows between two vendors, a soft smile on his lips. He watched Roxas for a long moment, and then nodded towards a back alley a few yards away, Roxas watching the other boy curiously as he moved through the crowd and disappeared out of sight. The blonde boy waited several long moments then moved to walk through the crowd as well, peeking into the alleyway before taking a few steps down the shadowed path, his wolf-eyes allowing him to easily see through the dark. The other boy was standing near the end of the alley, watching him with shining blue eyes. "It's been a while since I've seen a sea-wolf." The boy said softly, Roxas' eyes going wide, the white-haired boy laughing softly and taking a step towards him, "You're a long way from home."

Roxas searched the other boy's eyes, and then asked, "Who are you?"

The boy smiled, his fangs flashing. "My name is Riku. I'm traveling; I'm on my year of drifting from the Moon Temple."

"You're a spirit wolf?" Roxas asked, Riku nodding. "I…I've never met one before."

"But it seems you have met the moon," Riku said with a knowing smile, stepping over to Roxas and holding his fingertips before the blonde boy's eyes. Roxas felt his quicksilver shifting inside of him, his eyes slowly turning silver, his lunar soul reaching out for the white wolf before him. Riku smiled and pulled his hand away, Roxas' eyes fading back to blue. "It's good to see the moon's faith in her servants is returning. It has been a long, long time since I have heard of a sentinel, alive and well on the earth." He sniffed the air, then asked Roxas softly, "You're not with your clan here, where is your alpha?"

"He…" Roxas' voice choked, the wolf looking away.

Riku sighed softly, and then replied, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. It's not my place to do so."

Roxas shook his head, looking over at the taller boy, "No, it's alright. It just happened recently. I haven't been able to talk about it much…"

Riku blinked, "I heard stories about a human village to the eastern sea who slaughtered a clan of wolves, and that the moon apparently rose up and burned down the village as punishment. But, from past experiences, I've never known the moon to actually incur wrath on the humans."

"No, I burned down the human settlement in my grief over what had happened…" Roxas replied, "The moon had nothing to do with it."

"I had thought as much," Riku replied, reaching out and clasping his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I know how it is to have so much pain inside of you that you can't help but just destroy everything around you. That's something I've had to learn how to deal with as well."

Roxas, looking up at the other boy, felt something inside of him swirling. Was it his quicksilver again? He couldn't tell for sure. It was a pristine, reverberating sensation akin to the link that he had shared with Cloud before his alpha had died. When their link had snapped it had left a gaping wound inside of Roxas' soul. Somehow, being around Riku, the other boy seemed to be applying an unseen salve to his wounds, willing them to finally heal. The way that he had drawn out Roxas' quicksilver was unlike anything the younger wolf had ever experienced before. "Are you an alpha?" the tawny wolf asked, Riku blinking and then laughing softly, shaking his head.

"No, I'm not an alpha. I can manipulate the moon in a way that other wolves' can't, one of the perks of being a guardian of the moon temple, but I'm no alpha. With the white wolves, the moon is our alpha, and we are all her faithful guards. There hasn't been a white alpha in centuries. We are all independent, and we all work together as a whole to serve the moon."

"That's amazing," Roxas said softly before gunfire broke through the air, both of the wolves snapping their heads up and listening intently for future gunshots.

"What was that about…" Riku said, looking over at Roxas.

The blonde boy shook his head, "They're forming a massive hunting party to go after the clans of wolves that live in the mountains and the forest nearby. I'm trying to help the alphas of the two clans rise up and stop the humans before they have a chance to slaughter their clans…"

Riku smiled, nodding. "Alright, that sounds like a noble cause. You need any help?"

Roxas, his eyes shining as he smiled, replied, "That would be wonderful, we need all the help we can get."

"Then count me in," Riku said, "I've been on my pilgrimage for several weeks now and I haven't been able to find any real opportunities for me to help out, or learn, or grow. But helping two clans fight back against a substantial hunting party...that sounds like it could prove to be pretty interesting."

Roxas smiled, turning back towards the busy streets, peeking out and looking through the crowd for anyone familiar. He instantly spotted the last person he wanted to see, his brother with Xion, Aqua and Terra trailing behind him. The blue-haired witch was talking with Terra frantically, the older boy trying to calm her down. Xion was clinging to Ventus' arm with a worried look across her face, the blonde boy searching through the humans for any sign of his long-lost brother. "Come on, this way. I told the others that we'd meet up back at the gate."

Riku, who had been following his gaze and had also noticed the other wolf, replied, "He's not with you?"

Roxas shook his head, "No, he's not."

The white wolf hesitated then thought better than to ask any more questions, following after Roxas with light steps as they made their way through the crowd. Roxas glanced back over his shoulder at Riku to see that the other wolf following right behind him, and then looked back through the crowd one more time before they turned around a street corner and out of sight. Ventus looked up at just that moment, catching Roxas' eyes for a millisecond before the crowd broke their connection, the two wolves turning from the inner city to make their way towards the outside gates and leaving the witches far behind them. Roxas' heart burned within his chest as they weaved in and out of the streets, Roxas taking his time to make sure that there was no way they were being followed. Riku kept up with him easily, the white wolf humming to himself as he took a piece of iced sweet-cake from an offering vendor, handing her a coin with a smile. He broke it in half and offered the other piece to Roxas, the blonde boy shaking his head. Riku shrugged and took a large bite out of his half of the bun, surveying the crowd for a moment before nudging Roxas gently and pointing towards a dark-headed boy and girl. "What about them?" he asked.

"Yes, they are." The blonde boy replied, walking over to Xaldin and Rinoa, the two wolves greeting him and then staring over at Riku with surprise. The white wolf was swirling with raw energy, happily munching on his sweet bun. He smiled at Rinoa, offering her the other half of the bun. The girl blinked then giggled softly and took the treat from him, breaking off a small piece and offering it to Xaldin, who nodded and took the piece of bread from her, popping it into his mouth and chewing slowly.

"And who might you be?" she asked, taking a bite of the sweet-bun, soft violet eyes looking over the newcomer quizzically.

"Riku," he replied, "I'm on my year of drifting."

"Drifting? You mean you're on your pilgrimage from the Moon Temple?" the girl asked, her eyes wide and curious. "I thought your hair was a strange color. You're a white wolf?"

Riku nodded, taking the last bite of his bread and licking his fingers happily. "Roxas said that you guys are having a bit of trouble with the humans around here. I thought I would help."

Xaldin growled softly, "Yes…the news is most…unsettling."

"So you heard them talking about the hunting party?" Roxas asked, looking from the tall hunter to Rinoa.

The girl nodded, "There's talk about it everywhere. They're saying that it's happening soon, but no one was sure how soon…"

"If the hunters who talked to me were serious, they said they were going to try and invade before dawn." Roxas said, Rinoa's eyes shining with worry at his words.

"That doesn't give us much time…" she said, swallowing before taking another bite of the bun. She turned towards the gates, and then looked back into the city. "I can sense Zack's on his way back. I'm not sure about the other two…"

"There's a couple coming up that way," Riku said, looking over his shoulder and pointing towards a busy street. "They're red wolves I think. They feel like trees, and earth…"

"You can sense what clan wolves are in before you even see them?" Rinoa asked, amazement in her voice. "It's just like the stories; white wolves have the most unusual powers…"

Riku grinned, "If you've heard about white wolves, you must be close to your alpha. Lover perhaps, or sister?"

The girl laughed, "I'm his older sister. Very perceptive."

Roxas smiled, looking between the mountain wolves and the white wolf, feeling their energies syncing. Riku was very personable and friendly, and he radiated power. He would be extremely helpful in rallying the wolves together to fight back against the humans. With the limited time they had been given to formulate their plans, Roxas could only pray to the moon that with his and Riku's powers combined they would be able to lead Axel and Zack to victory, and push back the humans for good.

Axel and Lightning appeared a moment later, Zack walking up to them from another nearby street, moving to his sister's side. "I looked for you before I left, but I couldn't find you…" Zack said to Roxas, his eyes moving over to Riku a moment later, an unasked question in his eyes.

"Riku," the tawny wolf introduced, "This is Zack; he is the alpha of the mountain clan."

"Another rogue?" Lightning asked as she and Axel walked up, Riku looking over at her with a smile in his ice-blue eyes.

"Another arrogant guard?" Riku asked in response, crossing his arms over his chest. "Like alphas don't have enough of those, nowadays." He looked over at Axel, "Your older sister, then? I assume that's the only reason you let her talk out of turn that way."

Axel blinked then laughed, Lightning's face turning red. "Yes, she's my older sister. Don't take her too seriously; she talks to all of us that way."

Riku grinned over at the red alpha, "You have good energy. You're a true fighter, I can feel it." He looked over at Roxas, "He's the other alpha?"

Roxas nodded, "This is Axel, and Lightning." When the red wolves looked over at the white wolf, the blonde boy added, "This is Riku, he's offered to help us."

"We don't need help from any more outsiders." Lightning said, taking a step forward. "I have half the mind to blame the first little rogue for all of this in the first place," she turned towards Roxas, "If it weren't for you leaving that goat corpse out in the open then we never-"

"Your sisters were _starving_!" Roxas said angrily, taking a step towards her, feeling his lunar soul bubbling to the surface, clenching his cloak around his arms tightly so his runes weren't visible as they appeared across his skin. "There is no one to blame here but the humans themselves! Now, are you going to continue to try to fight with me, or are you going to help us figure out how to stop the hunters before they reach your den?"

Lightning backed away a step, looking away from Roxas' silver eyes. "Fine, but let's get out of this city. The human stench is making my skin crawl."

"Agreed," Zack said from his sister's side, the dark alpha walking off towards the gate. Xaldin took Rinoa's hand gently and lead the fragile wolf towards the gate, the three black wolves passing by the guards with small nods and casual farewells. Riku reached over and patted Roxas on the back, nodding his approval at the tawny-wolf's words before following after the other wolves, humming merrily as he went. Roxas looked between Lightning and Axel, the red alpha nodding to him. When Roxas turned to walk through the gate the red wolves followed after him, passing by the guards and slowly disappearing into the shadows until they were out of sight of the humans, and the sounds of the festival grew dimmer and dimmer as they traveled further away from the settlement.

When they reached the top of the valley Vincent and Paine were waiting for them, Xaldin and Rinoa heading back to the den, Lightning following after them and waiting for her sister to appear from within the confines of the den. Yuffie and Serah emerged a moment later, the red wolves greeting one another softly, Yuffie watching with warm chocolate eyes. Rinoa pulled her little sister to her side, and then turned to look over at the group of wolves behind her. "You are all welcome to come to the fire and talk about what we need to do. I would recommend gathering your clan together and having them come here while there is still time."

Axel nodded, stepping from Roxas' side over to his sisters, the red wolves tilting their heads to the sky and howling, their human forms trembling from the power behind their echoing howl. Similar calls rose up from the woods, Axel looking over at Zack, the dark alpha stepping over to him and pressing a hand to his shoulder. "We have much to discuss."

The red alpha nodded. "Thank you, for helping us. After everything we've been though, the fighting, the anger, the hatred…"

"We can make amends at a later time, Axel. Right now we need to find a way to deter the humans from invading our lands and keep our families safe."

 _Keep your family safe_ … The words throbbed dully in Roxas' skull, Riku turning to look at him with worry in his eyes, sensing the inner turmoil within the tawny wolf. He reached over nudging him gently, "Hey, everything will be alright. We have the moon on our side. I'm sure of it."

Roxas nodded, looking over at the white wolf with a smile. Somehow with Riku's reassurance, Roxas' worries began to slowly fade away, and the lunar soul inside of him rose to the surface once more, covering his skin with ancient runes and turning his eyes to sterling silver. "Alright, let's settle down a figure out how we're going to deal with this. If the hunters were right, then that means we only have a few hours left before they're going to come looking for us."

Riku tugged his arm, pulling him towards the mountain wolves' den, where everyone else was slowly migrating to. "Well, from what I've gathered walking around that town, they still have people there who believe in the stories of the moon, and who respect the wolves. Obviously the hunters don't, but sometimes people's beliefs can rise up and overcome their fears."

"What do you have in mind?" Zack asked, turning to look over at the two approaching wolves from where he was standing in the doorway of the den, Axel standing across from him with a hand on his hip.

Riku smiled, looking over at Roxas, "I think that it's time we showed the humans that the wolves are to be respected; to put the fear of the wrath of the moon back into their bones."

"Some of the villagers were talking about how they didn't want the hunters to mess with us," Axel said, "They were torn between their beliefs in the old ways and their fear of wolves being nothing more than beasts who would come in the night and eat their children. It's like they don't know what to believe anymore."

"Then let's give them something to believe in." Roxas said, catching on to what Riku's intentions were. "Why don't we go down to the human village and reveal ourselves to them? Show them who we really are? It's during the Festival of the Moon, a festival to honor the moon…and they refer to wolves as the moon's children in the old stories, right?" He looked over at Riku, then between Zack and Axel. "What if we prove that the ancient stories are true? That would force the hunters to see us for what we really are, right?"

"If they give us the time to explain ourselves," Axel said, shaking his head. "With how trigger-happy the humans are right now, I wouldn't be surprised if they start shooting at us the minute they see us coming."

"It's worth a shot," Zack said, looking over at the red alpha. "Stopping the humans before they even come up to the mountains would be ideal; they wouldn't have time to find our dens. But on the other hand, we would be confronting them on their home turf, which could prove to be exceptionally dangerous…"

"I know a lot about humans," Riku said, "And since most humans still do believe in the Moon Temple, they know a lot of stories about white wolves. I think that if the four of us show up as a sort of symbol, four different clans, white wolves to the north, sea wolves to the east, mountain wolves to the west, and forest wolves to the south…"

"The four colors of the four ancient clans…" Roxas said softly, Riku nodding.

"Exactly. I think that the four of us could make quite an impression on the fanatics of that town. Then, they should be able to force the hunters to stop what they are doing. It will cause an inner turmoil between the believers and the non-believers, but in the end I think that faith will prove to be the strongest, and those who believe in the moon and the wolves will be able to overpower the hunter's irrational fears of us."

"It's risky," Axel said, looking over at the other alpha.

Zack sighed, and then replied, "It's a risk we're going to have to take."

-x-x-x-

The red wolves and the black wolves greeted one another warily as the clans settled down together to listen to their battle plan. It was more of an anti-battle plan really; the alpha's explaining their thoughts, and what they thought they should do. Their clan-mates murmured amongst one another, discussing the possibilities, then a wolf spoke up, "But, what happens if this plan doesn't work? What if they come after us anyway?"

"What happens if the hunters kill one of you? Without our alphas…"

"We can't think like that," Zack said, silencing the distressed murmuring rising up from the two clans, "If we have faith in ourselves, and in each other, and we pray to the moon, then we will be unstoppable. The humans will have no choice but to back down."

"But, if something does happen," Axel said, looking over at Zack before scanning the crowd, "I want you all to know now that we have already designated our successors."

Curious chatter erupted from the wolves, excitement mixed with worry. The alpha's had chosen their successors, but if the alphas were killed before they were able to pass on their lunar souls…then… "Do not worry about this now," Zack's voice echoed through the mountainside, "If something happens we have several different options to deal with the humans. But, if the worst comes, know that your alphas have left plans in the hands of their guards, and you all will be taken care of, no matter what."

With those words, the two alphas returned to the confines of the den, leaving the clans to talk amongst themselves and contemplate their futures. Roxas watched the two alphas approach with quicksilver burning in his eyes. His lunar soul was fully active and on high alert, waiting for something to happen unexpectedly. He wanted to make sure that no matter what he was prepared for what was about to happen. Riku seemed to be on edge as well now that the moon was dipping low in the sky. It was getting late, very late, and the wolves were becoming restless. They would be leaving for the human city soon, and they needed to gather their strength for the upcoming battle.

Axel sighed, ripping apart a thick piece of meat and looking up at the towering bonfire, Kairi at his side snacking on a piece of fruit. "So, Roxas, I think you should finish the rest of your story."

Zack nodded, looking over at the blonde boy, his silver eyes blinking over at the alphas. "I…I don't know if it would help things right now. My story doesn't have a happy ending."

"Even so," Zack said, leaning back on his hands and looking over at the younger boy. "I want to know the rest of your story. I think it will help me better understand you. I'm still fighting with myself about you doing all of this for us in the first place."

Axel nodded, gesturing between Roxas and Riku, who were sitting together. "I want to know what makes you two the way you are. I know you're closer to the moon that the rest of us are, and I know you can sense things in a way that we cannot…but there's something else there. Something deeper…"

Roxas sighed, glancing over at Riku. "I've been telling them about how I became a sentinel, and about what the humans did to my clan."

Riku wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling his knees in close. "I wouldn't mind hearing about your story, either. Maybe we can learn from your past experiences."

Roxas nodded, swallowing nervously, and then looked out through the mouth of the den at the wolves that were waiting for them. There were so many souls there, so many people who trusted them to defend them, who looked up to them, who depended on them… If there was anything the other wolves could learn from his story that would help them, then he had to finish his tale. He had to at least try to get the words out. "My brother, Ventus... He fell in love with a human girl. A witch, named Xion. He loved her so much that he wanted her to be a part of his life; his life as a human, and his life as a wolf. So one night, he brought her to us. He brought a human to our den. He betrayed us all."

-x-x-x-

Roxas was sitting on the beach thinking to himself, listening to the waves rolling up onto the beach then receding back into the ocean, his eyes looking out across the water, then turning towards the human city. Movement caught his eye, his ears lifting up as he turned towards the two figures approaching him, getting to his feet and padding towards them. He hoped it wouldn't be who he thought it was, but of course it was his brother with his precious little human, walking along the beach laughing softly, the sea-breeze stirring the sand across their bare feet. "Ventus," the girl said softly, "Aqua is going to be furious when she finds out you snuck me out here…"

The boy laughed, leaning in and nuzzling her cheek, "I just wanted you to see. I wanted you to believe me…"

The human sighed, shaking her head and looking out across the sand until she noticed Roxas' eyes gleaning in the moonlight, stopping in her tracks and staring at the shadowed patch on the beach. "Is there something there?"

Ventus sniffed the air, smiling and saying, "Roxas, you ran off the other night, I never got the chance to introduce you…"

"She shouldn't be here." Roxas said, cutting off his twin's words. "Cloud doesn't want her here. None of us want her here. Take her back to her village _now_."

Roxas frowned, "Why is it that you can be with the one you love all the time, but when I try to be with the one _I_ love you turn around and abandon me as if I were nothing to you!"

"Ventus, you're being foolish." Roxas said, shifting forms and stepping towards his brother, stepping into the moonlight ever-so-slightly so that Ventus and Xion could see him from the waist up, his blue eyes swirling with silver. "She can't be here. Take her home."

"I want her to meet the pack," Ventus protested, taking a step towards his brother, Xion clinging to the back of his coat fearfully. He turned back to look at her, the witch watching Roxas with wide eyes. "Look, Roxas. You're scaring her. Please, brother, I just want her to…"

"It's good that she's scared of me." Roxas snapped, flashing his fangs at the small girl, Xion gasping and trembling against Ventus. "If you were wise you'd make sure that she was scared of you too, and you would never see her again."

"You really are wolves, aren't you?" Xion asked, Roxas looking over at her with a glare in his eyes. She was watching him with slight fascination, and added softly, "I've heard stories about wolves that are blessed by the moon and can take on human forms. But I've never actually seen…"

Ventus looked down at her, a whine in his voice, "How many times did I tell you?" The boy chided, the witch giggling softly and looking back over at Roxas. She hesitated, and then took a step towards him, a soft smile on her lips.

Roxas watched her with unrelenting eyes, the human girl pausing, then saying, "Ventus talks about you a lot, Roxas. You really are twins! You look exactly alike. I'm not sure if I would be able to tell the two of you apart…" She wrinkled her nose, and then added, "That is, if you were to stop glaring at me, anyway…"

Something inside of Roxas softened a bit, the blonde boy looking the small human over in an evaluative manner. She didn't seem to be a threat, and his brother really did want to be with her. But still, he knew it wasn't a good idea to bring her to the den. The other wolves, they would tear her apart…

"Brother?" Ventus asked softly, Roxas looking over at his twin and sighing, allowing himself to relax.

"Ven, you know you can't bring her to the den. It's forbidden. Cloud would disown you…"

"Please, Rox, can't you tell that she's the one for me?" Ventus asked, stepping up to Xion's side and wrapping his arm around the petite girl's waist, the human looking up at him with a light blush. "I want to be with her, I need Cloud's blessing…"

Roxas bit his lip lightly. He loved his brother, he did. And he trusted Ventus. And if this was something his twin wanted, then he would at least try to help him with it. "Alright, but wait here. Don't come to the den until I've talked to Cloud about it, alright?"

"Thank you," Ventus said with a pleased smile, hugging Xion to his side. Roxas watched them for a moment, then turned and dashed across the beach, donning his wolf form and racing to the den, quickly locating Cloud and pulling the alpha outside, walking with him towards the ocean so the waves could drown out their words.

"Ventus is here with his human. He wants you to meet her."

Cloud blinked then shook his head, his fur ruffling in anger, "That stupid pup, he shouldn't have…"

"Cloud, I really think he might actually love her…" he said softly, "And he is my brother…"

"It breaks all of our most sacred rules," Cloud replied, shaking his head again. "Cid would rip his throat out if I hadn't gotten to Ventus first."

Roxas sighed; he had expected his alpha to react this way. There were some laws that were kept in place for a reason; these rules protected not just one of the members of the pack, but they kept the entire clan safe. "I understand Cloud. I'll go back to him and make sure he knows never to bring her here again."

Cloud nodded, rubbing his cheek against Roxas' tenderly. "When you're done, come back to the den. I've missed you all night."

Roxas blushed beneath his tawny fur, nodding to his alpha and darting off across the beach, back to where he had left Roxas and Xion before, but they weren't there. _Maybe he decided to take her home after all_ … Roxas thought to himself, his tail swishing behind him. He contemplated this, but then decided that something didn't feel right. _Ventus wouldn't have taken her to the cliffs, would he?_ The golden wolf turned, his blue eyes searching the crags for any sign of his brother. He sniffed the air, catching his brother's scent and running towards it, his heartbeat pounding, his stomach churning uneasily. _Oh, Ven, please tell me you weren't that stupid…_

Roxas could hear Xion screaming long before he reached the cliffs near the den, a group of wolves snapping their fangs angrily at Ventus who had shifted forms and was standing before Xion, the girl crying and clutching her ankle. "Back off!" Ventus snarled, snapping at one of the wolves, the other wolf growling angrily.

"You brought a human here? Are you out of your mind!"

"She will tell the other humans where we are! You have betrayed us all!"

The third wolf stepped forward, Roxas recognizing Zell, the wolf who had sparred with Ventus for years. They were good friends. The two wolves stared at one another for a long moment, and then Zell said, "You are dead to us, Ventus. Go back to their hovel and live with your filthy humans. You are no longer welcome here."

Roxas reached them a moment later, taking his place beside his twin, his eyes burning silver. "Back off, Zell." The sentinel growled, snapping at the three older wolves, "All of you! Back off!"

"Don't think that just because he's your brother we'll spare him!" one of the other wolves said, lifting his nose towards the stars and howling loudly, Roxas looking over his shoulder at Xion, who was cowering and clutching her ankle.

"Get her out of here, now!" Roxas said, looking over at his brother.

"No, you take her! They won't try to stop you!" Ventus said, looking over at Roxas with pleading in his eyes, "Please Roxas, don't let anything happen to her."

Roxas growled at his brother angrily, "I told you not to do this!" He turned towards Xion, the girl screaming and trying to crawl away from him, Roxas stomping his foot and leaning down to her. "Grab on to my back," he said, the human's eyes going wide when she realized she could understand the wolf, "Xion! Take hold of my fur and pull yourself onto my back! Hurry!"

The human girl reached up and tried to hoist herself onto Roxas' back, but he was too tall. The golden wolf hunkered down against the cold rocks of the cliffs and helped her, nudging her between his shoulder blades with the side of his muzzle. "V-Ventus!" she cried, looking over at the other wolf.

"It's alright," he said to her, "Roxas will take care of you. I'll see you soon, Xi."

"I love you," she cried, clutching Roxas' fur and burying her face against the scruff of his neck.

The golden wolf smiled a wolf's grin, then replied, "I love you too, Xion." His eyes met Roxas', his twin nodding to him and shouting, "Alright, now go!"

Roxas rose to his feet, leaping down the side of the cliffs, Xion letting out a terrified cry as they tumbled down to the sand, Roxas practically falling over from their combined weight. He pushed himself up onto his feet again, Xion clinging to him tightly as the wolf ran off across the beach, the witch crying against his fur. They reached the edge of the settlement within a few minutes, Roxas allowing the human to climb down from his shoulders, Xion collapsing onto the grass and looking up at him with tear-stained cheeks. "R-Roxas! Please don't let them hurt Ventus! Please!"

The golden wolf didn't reply, his tail lashing the air. He lifted his head and let out a long, echoing howl, then turned and ran back down the beach towards the cliffs where he had left his brother to fight alone. The smell of blood was thick in the air, howls sounding from the den and the beach, and more howls resounding from the cliffs. The clan was angry, confused, upset. They were chasing Ventus down the beach, Roxas spotting a swarm of wolves running alongside the beach. He reached the den a moment later, Cloud stepping out and stopping him with a look, Roxas stopping his run and padding over to the alpha's side, worry in his eyes. "Cloud, please, don't let them kill him…"

The alpha was silent, his heart a whirlwind of emotions, Roxas becoming dizzy from their shared connection. "He knew better than to bring a human here…" Cloud said softly, looking up as the wolves that had been chasing Ventus pushed the wolf towards their alpha's feet, Ventus bleeding from several different bite marks along his shoulders, back, and sides. He looked over at Roxas frantically, who nodded to him, Ventus sighing in relief and looking up at Cloud with an apologetic look. Before he could open his mouth, Cloud spoke, "So, you brought a human here to meet your wolf family. And what made you think that we would have any desire to meet her?"

Ventus lowered his ears, looking between Cloud and Roxas. "I…I thought that I…"

"No, Ventus, you didn't think." The alpha took a step closer, Ventus backing away a step. "You didn't think, because if you had thought, you would have recalled that humans are not to be anywhere near a den at any time. They are to be driven off, dissuaded from ever coming near a wolf's den, because if they were to discover our den and catch us off guard, they would easily be able to destroy us all."

"Xion's not like that," Ventus pleaded, looking up at Cloud, "She's different. She's like me! She can make things grow, and start small fires. It's just like the fox-fire I have! She's so amazing…"

Cloud, his tail lashing the air, said softly, "I know you have never been close to his clan since your parents died when you and Roxas were young, but what you have done tonight is disrespectful, and puts everyone here at risk. You know better than to act like this!"

Ventus rose to his feet slightly, looking up at the alpha defiantly, then said softly, "Why is it that you can have everything you've ever wanted, but you deny me everything my heart has ever desired?"

Cloud, taken back by the other wolf's tone, looked away, eyes moving to Roxas. They'd talked before about how jealous Ventus was of Cloud, how the wolf felt like the alpha had stolen his twin from him, the only family he had left, his only friend and companion… "Ven," Roxas said, his brother looking over at him, "It's not like that. We're not saying that you can't be happy…"

"That's exactly what you're saying! You're saying that it's wrong to want to be with Xion! But I love her! I would do anything to be with her!" He shook his head, glaring up at Cloud. "Would you feel any differently for Roxas if you found out he was a human? You can't change who you love!"

Roxas took a step forward, "Ventus, you can't make that comparison!"

"Why not? Because it's not so black and white anymore? Because it's complicated, and makes you feel uneasy? How do you think I felt when I first found out I was feeling the things I was for Xion? I didn't want to fall for her, but I did! And now, I would die to make her happy. She is my everything, my whole world…"

Cloud sighed, looking behind Ventus to the wolves that had been listening, and were waiting expectantly. "The rest of you, go back to what you were doing. I will come to a decision about this after I have contemplated it a bit more." His eyes returned to Ventus. "And as for you, you had better not pull anything like this ever again. I understand what you mean about not being able to control who you love, but that girl is dangerous, Ven…"

Ventus rose to his feet, his eyes smiling, "Oh, Cloud, if only you would meet her. She's not like other humans; she's not dangerous at all! She-"

Gunfire rang out across the beach, a wolf screaming out in agony as more shots fired, Cloud turning towards the sound with a horrified expression. Ventus took a step towards the sound, Roxas' early pivoting towards the gunfire as well. "It's coming from down the beach, closest to the human city…"

"Hunters," Cloud replied, turning to look between Roxas and Ventus. "Where is your human? Run off to tell the hunters about the terrifying beasts that attacked her, no doubt!" The alpha growled deep in his throat, then let out a shrill howl, a battle-cry that had the whole pack howling in return, wolves running down the side of the beach from the den towards the humans who were attacking their pack mates. "We will destroy these humans before they kill us all!"

"No, Cloud! Wait!" Ventus said, walking after the alpha, "Please, she didn't mean any harm!"

Cloud, growling and snapping at the other wolf, slapping him across the face so hard it sent him twisting backwards to land hard in the sand, blood pooling from the side of his face and his eye as Ventus struggled to his feet. Roxas watched, horrified, as the boy he loved and his brother began pacing around one another, gunfire ringing in the distance, wolves screaming and howling as they fought back against the humans. Venus was wobbling already, the wound on his face blinding him on one side, blood clouding his vision, the wolf limping from a bite mark on his shoulder. From the fire in Cloud's eyes, and the anger Roxas could feel in his alpha's link, he knew if he didn't do something now the older boy was going to kill his brother.

Roxas stepped forward, getting between Cloud and Ventus before the older wolf could attack, "C-Cloud, please! Don't do this! He's my brother!" He lowered his ears under his alpha's fierce glare, "P-Please, Cloud. Please…"

"Get him out of my sight before I rip out his throat." The alpha growled, Roxas pushing his brother back and turning to look at him, eyes flitting over the deep gash flowing down the side of his face.

"Ventus, get out of her, now."

"Come with me," the other boy pleaded, looking over at his twin with sadness in his eyes. "Please, Roxas, I might never see you again…"

"I've saved your human's life, and now I'm saving yours. Don't make me fight you, Ventus." He growled, pushing his brother back, "Get out of here, now!"

Ventus hesitated then nodded, "I'll miss you, brother." He turned and ran off into the darkness, leaving bloody paw-prints in his wake. Roxas watched him go for a long time then turned back towards the sound of the gunshots, racing back past the den and towards the human city. He searched the sands for Cloud, his quicksilver burning his lungs and chest and setting fire to his limbs. Wolves were fighting humans everywhere, gunfire blasting through the night air like sudden bursts of fire, illuminating the shadowed beach. He spotted Cloud a moment later, the alpha was driving back two humans, wrenching the gun away from one of them with his fangs and tossing it over his shoulder, letting out a howl of victory as he chased after them. Roxas followed, racing to catch up with his alpha, and then as he rose over a dip in the sand Cloud darted in front of him, taking a bullet that had been meant for Roxas instead. The sentinel's eyes went wide, Roxas jumping over Cloud and sinking his teeth into the human's arm, twisting it so that it easily snapped and he was forced to release his hunting rifle, the human scrambling backwards and running off towards the gates of the human settlement. Another shot rang through the air, Roxas looking over to see that Cloud had gone for another group of humans, and while he had been fighting with them another hunter had appeared with a loaded gun, shooting the wolf in the shoulder and side, pain searing through Roxas through their shared link, crumpling him to the ground.

"Cloud!" he cried, throwing himself across the sand and into the chest of the human who had shot his alpha, knocking him backwards awkwardly, the human falling and snapping his neck against a rock. Roxas turned to the other humans, grabbing one by the leg and tossing him to the side, listening to the sound of bones crunching as he did so. The sentinel caught the other two humans who had been running away easily, pouncing on one and twisting his neck to the side with his strong jaws before running down the other one and ripping his face to shreds. Chest heaving, he made his way back to Cloud who had curled up against a small dip in the sand, sheltered from the wind and out of sight of other humans. Roxas went to him, his quicksilver aching as he looked over his wounds, the younger wolf shifting back into human form, Cloud doing so as well. The blonde alpha reached up and took Roxas' trembling hands, his breath wheezing, Roxas picking up on the sounds of his failing lung. One of the bullets must have pierced through his ribcage; his alpha wasn't going to be able to breath very soon. Roxas summoned all of his strength, his runes burning against his skin, but when he went to press his hand to Cloud's chest the boy stopped him.

"Don't Rox…" he wheezed, coughing, blood coating his hand as he did so. "There's nothing you can do now. You have to get out of here. Run as fast as you can, as far as you can. Promise me you'll survive this."

"No! I can't leave you!" Roxas said, tears beginning to pour down his cheeks, his shoulders trembling. "I can do this! I can heal you! Please, Cloud, let me try…"

"I can feel it already, Roxas, there's no stopping it now." Cloud said gently, coughing again, more blood appearing against his skin, a small trail of blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth. "I don't want you to waste your energy, okay? I need you to stay strong for me."

Roxas leaned in, burying his face against Cloud's chest. "No! No! I won't leave you here!"

"Roxas, please, don't make me do this…"

"No!" the younger wolf cried, sobbing against his alpha's chest, "You can't leave me! Not like this!"

"Rox, look at me," Cloud said, the younger boy wiping away his tears and looking down at his alpha, "I love you, Roxas. With all of my heart. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Cloud." Roxas said, leaning down and kissing him, the blood on his alpha's tongue coppery and bitter. He pulled away, stroking his thumb against Cloud's cheek, the older boy's breathing becoming more and more labored, the blood pouring from his mouth increasing drastically, the alpha fighting to swallow and breathe.

He looked up at Roxas, a tear falling down his cheek to drip against Roxas' hand, as he said, "Roxas, I want you to go now. You have to get out of here before it's too late."

"I won't leave you." Roxas whispered softly, determination swirling in his silver irises.

"I know you won't, Rox. I know…" Cloud said softly, then something happened, something inside of Roxas slowly churned, flowing through the sentinel and causing him to gasp, realizing he couldn't control his body. " _I want you to run, Roxas._ " Cloud said, but somehow his voice was inside of him, the alpha's lips never moving as he spoke, " _I love you Roxas, and I want to keep you safe, even if this is the last thing that I'll ever be able to do for you. I want you to live. Can you do that for me? Can you live for me?_ "

" _Cloud, please don't make me leave you,_ " Roxas said back to him, his heart twisting in agony, tears pouring down his cheeks, " _Please, please…_ "

" _Run Roxas. Run from this place, and don't look back._ "

Roxas could feel his feet moving, his arms pushing himself up from the sand. He could feel his body shifting, his golden fur coating his human skin as he turned back into a wolf. He watched as Cloud's human form disappeared as well, the alpha watching him with burning eyes. He could feel his heart locked with Cloud's, and then suddenly he was moving away, across the beach away from the hunters and wolves. His eyes caught a glimpse of the carnage across the beach; the seawater tinged a sickening red from all of the blood. His eyes and chest and lungs and legs burned and throbbed as Cloud's will forced him to run away. He ran and ran, further past the beach than he had ever run before, but somehow he was okay for that moment, because he could feel Cloud inside of him, pushing him on, leading him to safety. He ran for what seemed like a small eternity, and then something inside of him snapped. Roxas screamed at the top of his lungs and instantly shifted out of his wolf form, the boy crashing down against the cool grass, curling up into a ball and clutching at his chest. He felt like a part of his soul had just been ripped from his body, and slowly the link he shared with Cloud faded into nothingness, the sensation of his alpha leaving him as the other wolf's heartbeat ceased. The young wolf lay there for a moment, his eyes pouring tears before Roxas' eyes slowly closed, and his shattered mind faded into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The humans are about to attack, the wolves are getting themselves ready to battle, and Roxas is finally revealing the demise of his clan to his new friends. Will Roxas be strong enough to save his companions this time? Or will things come to a tragic end the same way they did with his own clan…
> 
> Riku seems to have appeared at exactly the right time. Could it be that the moon is watching over them after all? But there's more to the white wolf that meets the eye, and soon his true abilities will be revealed as the white wolf joins in against the hunters…
> 
> Axel and Zack seem to finally be getting along, but will their current agreement turn into something more after the humans have been dealt with?
> 
> More Quicksilver to come!


	8. Legends

Roxas woke up slowly, his body screaming in pain, the boy clawing as his chest and gasping. He looked around, unfamiliar scenery surrounding him as he tried to gather his thoughts. _Where…what happened…Cloud…_ Roxas pushed himself up into a sitting position, noticing the sun was still rising in the sky. It was not quite afternoon, a warm morning breeze passing through his tawny hair, shifting it before his eyes. His heart began to pound, remembering what had happened the night before. He grit his teeth, summoning his strength, but suddenly found that he couldn't. The link he normally drew his power from was gone, his quicksilver lying dead in his veins like thick, cold snakes. Slowly he pushed himself up to his feet, wobbling on his human legs, looking over when he noticed a couple of white-tailed foxes nearby, the creatures watching him with curious eyes. This wasn't wolf territory, and the foxes seemed unsure of how to approach the wounded wolf. They could sense he wasn't human, despite his appearance. Roxas turned his back towards them, staggering towards the east, towards the beach, towards his den… He almost fell as he stepped over a small dip in the grass, his whole body shaking from hunger and stress, his soul feeling weaker than it ever had before.

"Here, let me help you."

Roxas looked over, a small boy taking his arm gently, pressing their shoulders together and steadying the blonde boy. He looked up at Roxas with deep sapphire eyes, the wolf realizing the boy was one of the foxes he'd seen a moment before, fox-fire dancing beneath his skin in pale swirls of blue. It reminded him of the silver swirls of his quicksilver, which reminded him of Cloud, and in turn reminded him of Ventus. His twin, his one and only brother…he had betrayed his clan and destroyed everything Roxas had held dear. All because of his love for a human. Roxas was sick at the thought, doubling over and falling to the grass, dry-heaving for several long moments, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks.

"What's wrong with him, is he sick?" a worried voice asked, the fox at Roxas' side turning to look over his shoulder, shaking his head.

"I'm not sure," he replied, rubbing Roxas' back comfortingly.

Another fox spoke up, "Something's not right. Wolves shouldn't be here, and this one's too young to be off on his own."

Roxas wiped his mouth, struggling to get to his feet once more, the boy at his side helping him again, watching him with sweet, comforting eyes. "You okay?" he asked softly, Roxas nodding and looking over at him.

"I'll be alright, thank you…"

The fox didn't seem to be buying his words, his brow arching, nose sniffing the air. "You smell like death…" The boy said softly, rubbing his shoulder. "Have you lost your home?"

"Sora, leave him alone…" the voice from before called, the fox looking over his shoulder at her.

"I want to help him, Olette…"

The female fox turned to her companions, another fox speaking up, "Sora, don't get involved. You don't know what has happened. You might be making things worse."

"Oh…" Sora said softly, looking up at Roxas. "Am I making things worse? I'm sorry…"

Roxas smiled gently at the young fox, and then replied, "No, it's fine. Thank you, but I'll be alright, really. Go back to your friends. I'll make it home okay."

Sora pulled away from the wolf, the brown fox watching him with worried blue eyes for a moment before dashing away, returning to the other foxes who had been watching nearby. The wolf waved at them, then turned back towards the east, reaching for his quicksilver again, begging the moon for strength. _Please, I want to go home. Please…_ He felt a bit of his strength returning, but it felt different than before. It no longer held the warmth it once had when he had shared a link with Cloud. It was like it had been when he had first been branded a sentinel; it was raw, pure energy, wild and untamed. He pulled a bit of the quicksilver into his core, fueling his limbs enough that he was able to walk without shaking, but hesitating from taking his wolf form. If there were still human hunters on the beach he could easily be spotted and shot from a distance. In his human form they would at least think twice before opening fire on one of their own.

It took most of the afternoon to make it back to the beach, Roxas covering his nose and mouth with a hand as he took in the sight of the bodies covering the beach, human and wolf alike. He spotted the limp bodies of his friends; elder Cid, and fighter Zell, but not Cloud. Was he still buried in the nook where Roxas had left him before? The tawny wolf scrambled across the disheveled, bloodied sand, making his way towards the human settlement. There were dozens of shredded humans littering the beach, Roxas snorting as he stepped over the body of a hunter. At least his family had put up a good fight and had taken most of the hunters with them. Sadly, it seemed, no one had survived. The bodies of several small pups lay battered and lifeless against the shore, their mother lying dead nearby, her eyes lifeless and grey. The humans had destroyed everything; the den had been burned out, smoke still rising from the sea-cave in plumes of dark black smoke.

Roxas stepped over a small incline in the sand, searching for the body of his lover, his heart clenching painfully as he discovered the alpha lying in a pool of his own blood, Roxas collapsing beside him, sobbing uncontrollably. He reached over, his fingers brushing across the once warm, brilliant, golden fur, now sticky with blood and as cold as ice. _Roxas_ … he heard Cloud whisper, just as if he were there, the alpha's words echoing in his mind. _Live for me Roxas, I want you to live. Can you do that for me?_

The blonde boy choked back his tears, leaning in and wrapping his arms around his alpha's neck one final time before standing to his feet, unleashing his quicksilver, an unquenchable torrent of lunar power igniting through his veins, silver fire appearing across his skin, catching everything around him ablaze. He looked back at his alpha, whispering a soft goodbye, before he reached out and spread his flaming arms across the beach, his fire erupting from his hands to cover the corpses, turning everything into ash to be washed away by the sea. He turned back to look at the human city, his eyes burning like mercury. He was going to do more than just burn the corpses on the beach. He was going to burn everything. _Everything_. With a furious howl he shifted forms, his golden fur enveloped in dancing silver flames, the wolf racing off towards the settlement. He wouldn't let anyone survive.

-x-x-x-

"And so, I scorched everything. I burned the entire city down, so that by the time night was falling the city was nothing but a giant fire, smoldering ashes floating through the sky out into the ocean, the sand covered with white soot. I stayed there for a while, trying to figure out what to do, where to go, and then I remembered hearing stories about a sister clan to the west. So, I set off towards the western ocean, hoping that I would be able to find something there, some sort of happiness. It took me a few weeks to pass through the plains. I never saw the foxes again, but I'll never forget that boy's kindness…"

"Foxes make good friends," Riku said with a smile, nodding his head in agreement.

Roxas nodded as well, "And then, I reached the forest. And that's when I met you two." He looked up at Axel and Zack, the two alphas watching him with sorrowful eyes. Roxas noticed for the first time that Kairi was clutching her brother's side, crying silently. Yuffie and Serah were in much the same state, the older girls exchanging glances as they clutched one another's shoulders and hands for comfort. "I'm sorry if I upset everyone…"

"No, don't apologize." Zack said, reaching over and patting Yuffie's leg gently, the younger wolf sniffing and nodding.

"Zack's right." Yuffie said, sniffing and wiping her eyes, "You don't have anything to say you're sorry for. It just, it hurts on the inside to think about everything you've gone through. All of your pain."

Riku was silent for a moment, and then looked over at Roxas as he realized something. "Wait. The boy that we saw before, in the city… He looked just like you. And he had a scar across his eye, just like the one you said your brother had."

Roxas shifted nervously, looking over at the white wolf. "That's because the boy we saw was my brother. Somehow he and his human friends managed to make it out of the city before I burned it down. I guess they left the settlement before I made it back to the beach…"

"Your brother's here? Why didn't you say anything?" Axel asked, but Roxas just shook his head.

"If I see him again, I don't know what will happen. I think I might attack him. I have so many emotions mixed up in my head when I think about what happened…and what would have happened if he had just left everything alone, if he had never brought that girl to the den…"

"You realize you're going to have to face him," Lightning said, the blonde boy looking over at the girl, her rose-colored hair pulled over her shoulder as she ran her hands through her long locks, "It's only logical. It's the only way you're ever going to be able to get over what happened. You have to face him and tell him what you think. If you fight, then you fight, but you can't just go around avoiding him forever. Not now that you know he's alive."

Roxas hesitated, looking away from the guard and off towards the bonfire, losing himself in thought. Ventus…would he ever be able to forgive his brother for what had happened? Would he kill him if he ever saw him again? His mind instantly went to two extremes, his heart twisting, trying to figure out which one seemed right. But neither seemed right, and he couldn't bring himself to think about it any longer, letting out along sigh before turning to look over at Riku, the white wolf watching him with understanding in his eyes.

"Alright then," the boy said, turning from Roxas towards the two alphas. "So, with Roxas' experience with the hunters in mind, I think we can all agree on what to do and not to do if the situation arises where we will actually have to fight back against them."

"We can't fight them head-on, that's for sure," Axel said, shaking his head. "Their guns are too fast, it would be like running into a wall of bullets…"

Roxas nodded, "I agree. I think if we had been given the time to prepare, to sneak up on the humans and attack them before they had a chance to get the jump on us…then maybe my clan would have survived."

Riku reached over and rubbed Roxas' back, the tawny wolf looking over at the other boy. "I think we should gather everyone together and create a fleet of wolves to go with us to the human city." He looked up and met eyes with Zack. "Your finest guards and hunters," his eyes flitted over to Axel's, "Anyone you can spare. We need to look intimidating and fierce, a foreboding, unrelenting force the humans have no chance against. If we can convince them to back down it will prevent as much bloodshed as possible…"

The black alpha's lips twisted into a thoughtful smile, catching on to where Riku was going with his suggestion, "Then, once we have gathered together a force to accompany us, the four of us will lead the other wolves to the city and stand before the humans together as the four clan-heads from legend," Zack said, his violet eyes flickering with firelight. "It just might work. A symbol like that would convince almost any human, believer or not."

"And we'll have to speak to them," Axel said, looking up at the other alpha. "They'll need to know we really are the wolves of legend. We'll have to convince them to stop the hunting party, that we mean them no harm…"

Riku nodded, pulling his hand from Roxas' back and crossing his arms over his chest, nodding definitively. "I think each of us should talk to them, but we should echo one another's words, like we're all a part of the voice of the moon."

Roxas tilted his head up, closing his eyes and calling out to the lunar soul within him, asking for guidance, for words, for any help the moon could give. He felt a warm, fluttering sensation drift inside of him, his veins singing, his ears ringing with heavenly silence. He exhaled slowly, opened his eyes, and looked around at the wolves watching him. "I think I know what to do."

-x-x-x-

"…and so, the moon shone down onto the earth, and out of the darkness creatures formed. The moon created the owls, the raccoons, and the foxes. She created the deer in the thicket, and the bears and goats in the mountains. And then the moon created a powerful, sacred creature that she blessed with her love and adoration. She created the white wolf."

The children sitting in the courtyard gasped and laughed softly, looking around at one another, shushing a few rowdy boys in the back with furious whispers and gentle shoves. The bard sitting before the fire smiled mysteriously, strumming at his small sitar, looking out over the crowd of children that were sitting before him with wide, curious eyes.

"And the white wolf was the guardian of the moon, her lover and her protector. But the wolf was lonely, so the moon in her kindness created friends for her beloved creature. She created the wise, golden-yellow wolves of the seas, and the magnificent black wolves of the mountains, and the courageous, spirited red wolves that lived in the woods. The four wolves became the closest companions, and together they ruled the earth, patrolling the world in both daylight and darkness. They were here long before man came to the earth, and they remain the moon's faithful guardians, even to this day…"

Howling echoed from the distance, the children gasping and clapping, a couple of girls giggling near the front of the crowd. The minstrel, however, seemed distressed, the man standing up and looking off towards the valley leading up into the nearby mountains, then over to one of his companions, the other man shrugging and shaking his head.

"It wasn't planned, not that I know of." The other man said, "I think that really was a wolf."

The bard hesitated a moment, then sighed and shrugged, turning back to the children, "Ah well, enough stories for tonight, why don't you all grab a few treats and head back to your-"

Another howl sounded from the darkness, then another, and another still. The bard and his friend backed away from the sound, the children getting to their feet and looking around, murmuring to one another, their parents who had been watching nearby going to their charges and pulling them against their sides and legs. "What was that?" a man asked, wrapping his arm around his daughter.

"It sounded like wolves…" a woman said softly, cradling her baby in her hands.

"The hunters, they were talking earlier about going to hunt a pack of wolves nearby…"

"Hunt wolves? During the Festival of the Moon? What are they thinking!"

"They'll bring the wrath of the moon down upon us, just like the settlement on the eastern sea…"

The parents huddled together with their children, listening carefully to the wind, and then suddenly something appeared down the dimly-lit alleyway towards the gates of the city. It was a set of guards, running frantically towards them through the square, their eyes wide with panic and their chests heaving. One of the guards ran past the crowd and disappeared further into the city, but the other guard stopped, collapsing to his knees, the minstrel walking over to him and helping him back to his feet.

"What happened?" he asked, shaking the guard's shoulders gently. "Speak up, man! What did you see?"

"W-w-wolves…" the guard said, his teeth chattering, "A swarm of w-wolves coming down from the m-mountain! We must f-find the hunters!"

"Wolves? What-!" the bard exclaimed, but the guard wrenched away before he could ask another question, running off towards the inner city after his companion, leaving the group of women, children, fathers and minstrels in the courtyard, the air eerily silent. The bard's heartbeat thrummed in his ears as he stared into the darkness of the alley leading towards the gate, and then something broke the silence. The sound of soft footsteps, and then suddenly gleaming eyes appeared in the darkness. "B-by the gods…"

Four massive wolves stepped out of the darkness, one a brilliant, dazzling white, the others gold, black, and red respectively. The white wolf padded forward, stepping towards the bard, his tall ears raised high, his ice-blue eyes watching the human with intelligence far beyond that of a beast. The wolves were big, much bigger than normal wolves. The bard's thoughts instantly turned to his story, his heart feeling as if it might burst from his chest. The white wolf took another step forward, sniffing the air, watching the bard with an unwavering gaze, and then he turned and looked out across the crowd, noticing the children who were watching with curious eyes, the parents who were clutching their wards against them fearfully.

Riku smiled, his muzzle twisting into a wolf's grin, and he said with a deep, resonating voice, "You have nothing to fear, humans. We are not here to harm you."

A woman screamed, quickly covering her mouth with her hands, her daughters clutching at her skirt tightly. Riku looked over at her, twisting his ears towards her and laughing softly. Roxas moved a moment later, stepping up to Riku's side, the bard backing away from the two wolves, shaking as he did so. "You tell stories of us, yet you never really thought to believe?" He shook out his golden fur, taking a step past the bard, looking down at the children cowering behind him a few yards away. "It's alright. Don't be afraid. The moon has sent us to guide you, to teach you, to watch over you."

The children exchanged fearful glances, looking from the large wolf over to the bard, who was looking back at them with wide eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, the man clutching his sitar so hard his knuckles were turning white.

Axel stepped closer as well, padding over to the fire, swishing his tail so that embers flew up out of the pit. It created the illusion of fire shifting around his fur, several of the older boys making soft excited comments and pointing at the red wolf. Axel grinned, looking over at Riku. The white wolf nodded, the red wolf turning from the drifter towards the children, taking a step into the crowd towards the boys, several girls skittering away and hiding behind their parents, the boys holding their ground and looking up at the massive wolf. "You are the future of this city," Axel said to the boys, the children gasping again and whispering to one another softly, their eyes gleaming as they dared to let exclamations of awe spill past their lips. "You have to be the ones to bring the legends back to life. You have to be the ones to believe."

One of the boys reached up towards the red wolf, his friend grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back, but the boy brushed him off and reached forward again. Zack stepped up to Riku's other side opposite of Roxas, the black alpha watching the children as they gathered around Axel, his violet eyes smiling. "I think it's working," he said softly to the other wolf, Riku chuckling and nodding. Roxas grinned as well. It had been excellent timing. They had appeared right at the most opportune moment. At first, when the guards had run off, he had been worried. But the moon seemed to be smiling down at them, because instead of being greeted by loaded rifles as they entered the city, they had instead stumbled upon a group of minstrels telling stories to the village children.

Zack took a few steps into the crowd of children as well, the girls who had been listening so intently to the story before stepping closer shyly, their mother demanding in quiet shouts that they come back immediately. The girls didn't listen to the woman whatsoever as they reached up and petted Zack's fur, the gigantic black wolf sighing softly and saying, "This is something that you will carry with you always. This is something that you will tell your sisters, and daughters, and grand-daughters. This will be in your memories forever, the night of the full moon when you met the guardians of the lunar soul."

The girls gasped, their eyes wide as they listened to his words, one of the girls looking up into the wolf's large eyes and whispering softly, "Are you really from the stories? The black wolf of the mountains?"

Zack perked his ears towards the small human, watching her with warm eyes. "What do you see with your eyes, young one. What do you believe?"

The girl giggled, looking over at her friend who was smiling and petting Zack's fur shyly. The first little girl looked back up at the wolf, and then said, "I think that you're a good wolf. You're not like the wolves that my daddy talks about at all." She turned and looked over her shoulder at her mother, the woman's eyes still wide with fear, her hands tugging at her dress as if she were about to rip it apart. "Mommy? Why did daddy say all those bad things about the wolves? He's not really going to shoot them, is he?"

"Hush child," the woman said through her teeth, glancing up at the wolf with anxious eyes. Zack watched her calmly, his tail flicking behind him in mild agitation at the child's words. He backed away from the children slowly, turning to look over at Axel, who was nudging one of the boys with his muzzle, the boy laughing and pushing back against him playfully.

Riku and Roxas exchanged a glance. The children seemed easy enough to persuade, but they were children after all. Adults weren't so quick to change their minds, and from the sound of it the hunters were still intent on their death march up the mountainside. The wolves still had work to do. Riku looked between the two wolves at his sides then spoke up again, the humans turning to look at him, the bard nearly dropping his sitar from the sudden sound of his voice, "We have come here tonight to show you that you are in no danger here. We have lived here for generations before you, and we have never once moved to harm any of you, or your kindred." Riku pawed at the ground, his large paws drumming against the earth. "You must call off your hunters at once and never raise your guns to us again. We will forgive this foolishness once, but we will not tolerate it again."

"The moon is angry…" the bard said, turning from the wolves to the crowd of children and parents, saying with worry in his voice, "We must call off the hunting party. The wolves are giving us a chance to apologize for our trespasses and live in peace!"

"But the hunters have already gathered," a man spoke up from the crowd, "There are many outsiders, people who are not of our village. I don't know how we can stop them now…"

"It's too late!" a woman called, shaking her head and pulling her child against her side, "They'll never listen to us now, not with wolves in our midst! We're doomed…"

Axel looked up from the children he'd been playing with, "If the outsiders who have come here for the festival are making up most of the hunting party, then there's not much these people will be able to do to stop them. If they're not from this city then they won't hold as much respect for the traditions as these human will…"

"It's true," Riku said, Roxas and Zack looking over at him, "In these current times festivals are no longer pure and heartfelt like they once were. Ruffians and thieves will come to large gatherings like this, not because they believe in the festival or want to celebrate, but because they know where there are many people there will be many fights, and many things to steal…"

"So the hunting party is made up of riffraff of this city…" Zack said, gritting his fangs.

"Of this city, and the surrounding cities…" Roxas added, the golden wolf directing his gaze towards the inner city, listening for any signs of an approaching threat, is eyes swirling with quicksilver. He could sense something was coming, but it wasn't the hunters. It was something else, something that made his heart quicken and his mouth turn dry. Then, as Roxas watched, a pair of eyes appeared in the shadows of the alley across the courtyard, and a boy appeared, a long dark red scar cutting down the side of his face. The tawny wolf narrowed his eyes, a growl rumbling in the back of this throat. "Ventus…"

The boy seemed to hear his words, halting just outside of the shadows, his blue eyes cutting into Roxas', a mirror reflection of his twin. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again, brother." The boy said, reaching up and pushing his long, blonde bangs away from his eyes. "I felt you though, I knew somehow you'd survived."

"Ventus...you traitor…" Roxas growled, the fur on the back of his neck bristling with anger, the wolf stepping away from the children and walking across the courtyard towards his brother, his quicksilver humming in his veins. It wasn't in his nature to exact revenge, but justice… That was something his lunar soul agreed with. "You killed them! You killed all of them! All because you couldn't just listen to us and stay away from that human!" He stomped his front paw against the cobblestones, the sound echoing off of the surrounding walls of the nearby shops and houses, the humans who were watching gasping and huddling together in fear. "Our entire clan, wiped out!" His eyes stung with the sharp hint of tears at the thought of the alpha that he had lost. "And there's no one else to blame…but _you_ …"

Riku watched with icy eyes, Zack and Axel exchanging a glance. The red alpha asked softly, "What should we do?"

"Just let them be," Zack said, Riku nodding in agreement.

"There are some things that need to be said between them, otherwise they'll never be able to truly live again."

Ventus grit his teeth, taking a few steps forward, his skin shifting and growing, golden fur enveloping his body until he too was standing in wolf form, his scar still clearly visible where his fur had never grown back. "Traitor?" he growled, tossing his head from side to side and snapping his fangs. "You want to know who's the traitor here, Roxas? My own brother cast me out like I was nothing to him! You abandoned me, you didn't even try to look for me after the fight that night! And then later, when I heard about the fire, and what had happened to the clan…" His eyes were like lightning as he glared over at his twin, "What were you trying to do, huh? Get Xion killed? What were you thinking burning down that city!"

"They deserved it after what they had done!" Roxas snapped, racing forward and meeting his brother mid-air as the wolves leapt for one another, Ventus digging his claws into Roxas' shoulder and chest as Roxas bit his side. They broke away then attacked again, circling one another and lashing out when seeing an opportunity, fangs flashing and claws ripping at the air, the brothers growling and howling at one another, their tails lashing at the air.

"You admit it then," Ventus growled when they broke apart again, "You _were_ trying to kill her, weren't you! That's what the whole thing was about! You wanted me to lose the one I loved, because you lost Cloud!"

"He was _taken from me_!" Roxas screamed, pushing himself forward with strength far beyond his own, knocking his brother back into the side of a shop, wooden planks snapping under the force of the impact. Dust rose up from the site, the wind blowing the plume of debris across the clearing with a soft sound, leaves rustling across the cobblestones, stirred by the breeze. Roxas panted, his eyes staring at the spot where his brother had fallen, then something else drew his attention. There were several sets of footsteps approaching from the inner city, angry voices accompanying the clatter.

Riku stepped in front of the group of children towards the middle of the courtyard, Zack lowering his ears and following after the white wolf, the small children nearby backing away from the wolves and towards the fire. The parents and minstrels surrounded the children, watching the wolves move around them with concern. Axel walked around the other side of the humans, moving to stand at Zack's side, his ears pivoted towards the advancing sound. "Are you ready for this?" the red alpha asked, the black wolf lifting his ears and looking over at the other alpha.

"I guess we're about to find out."

Roxas called his quicksilver to his core, his lunar soul spiraling into blazing coils within his chest, stomach, and legs. His eyes dilated, mercury swimming through his irises like star-fire, his runes shining so brightly they were nearly visible beneath his tawny fur. He lifted his head and pointed his nose towards the moon, and let out a long, piercing howl. The wolves waiting just outside of the gates of the human city echoed the cry, Riku, Zack, and Axel joining in on the call a few moments later, the four wolves voices harmonizing through the darkness like a lost song. The sudden uproar halted the advancing hunters in their tracks as they appeared at the edge of the courtyard, the men stopping their advance and looking out into the darkness of the surrounding mountainside, lifting their rifles and exclaiming loudly to one another in panic. When Roxas looked down from the night sky, the howl fading into silence, he noticed that to the side of the hunters the pile of debris where Ventus had fallen was slowly moving, the other golden wolf appearing a moment later, blood pouring from his legs and side. The hunters, realizing the wolf was there, backed away with surprised shouts, scrambling away from the wolf as he got to his feet and leapt forward, Roxas running out to meet him once more, the brothers slamming together, snapping at one another's fur.

Roxas flinched away from Ventus when he felt his fur singe, the other wolf's blue fox-fire scalding his cheek and shoulder from where he had bit him a moment before, his brother growling and lashing out at him again. "I thought I knew you, Roxas. I trusted you with Xion! You could have easily killed her that night but instead you led her to safety… Why? Why would you save her and then try to kill her the next morning!"

"Things changed, Ven," Roxas growled in return, "While you were off tending to your human I was watching our pack being slaughtered by the human hunters, I was fighting back against the hunters for the sake of our clan's survival in vain, and then, I was listening to Cloud take his last breaths!" He snapped at the air, aiming for the other wolf's throat. "How could you not come back for us, Ventus! If you had been there things could have-"

"Why didn't you stand up for me!" Ventus shouted, latching onto Roxas' shoulder and twisting his skin between his fangs, blood pouring from the wound.

" _I saved your life_!" Roxas howled, "If I hadn't stepped up and stopped Cloud when I had he would have _killed you_ , Ventus!" The sentinel ripped away from his brother's grasp, backing away towards the hunters, the men taking aim at him with their guns.

Axel leapt forward before either of the other two wolves could react, the hunter looking over at him at the last moment before the wolf pounced on him, knocking the rifle from his hands. The red wolf growled at the hunter, one of his massive front paws planted on the man's chest. "Don't even think about it." He said, the human squeaking out a surprised yelp in response, his companions quickly rushing to his rescue, lifting their hunting rifles and firing at the massive red wolf. Two of the bullets grazed Axel's forearm and shoulder but the third hit him square in the chest, the red wolf's eyes going wide as the force of the shot knocked him backwards a few paces, blood pouring unhindered from the bullet hole in his chest. Riku and Zack where there a moment later, the white wolf howling and pushing back the other hunters, whipping guns from waiting hands with bites and snarls and powerful shoves. Zack was at the white wolf's side, growling angrily at the men who tried to retrieve their weapons, several of the hunters scrambling backwards and out of sight, shouting for reinforcements as they ran back towards the inner city. The children nearby were screaming and crying, frightened by the fighting wolves and the gunfire, their mothers and fathers trying to shelter them from the sight.

In the commotion several hunters ran between Roxas and Ventus, the tawny wolves breaking eye contact long enough that Roxas glanced over and instantly realized what had happened to Axel, watching as the red alpha shuddered and backed up another few steps, his body shifting back into his human form, the boy falling to the ground and clutching at his chest. Roxas, his lunar soul instantly shifting from fight-mode to healer-mode, allowed himself to fall out of his wolf's skin as well, racing over to Axel's side and tugging his hands away from his chest. The alpha coughed and spat up more blood, looking over at the blonde boy with fear in his green eyes.

"Let me see!" Roxas exclaimed, the older boy allowing him to pull his hands from his chest, Roxas taking in the sight of the hole there with evaluative eyes. The bullet seemed to be lodged against his breastplate, and he had broken a few ribs, but from what he could tell the damage was just pressing against his lungs, not actually puncturing them. He should be able to heal him if he focused all of his powers, and prayed to the moon for precision… He took Axel's hand, overlapping his hand and the alpha's hand over the wound, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. "Try to breathe, Axel. I need you to relax enough that I can channel through you."

The alpha turned his head to the side and coughed, then looked back at Roxas, gasping for breath, "I-I'll t-try…"

Roxas nodding, his eyes beaming encouragement as he leaned in and pressed their foreheads together once more. He felt his quicksilver racing through his chest, down his arm, and into the other wolf, light immediately appearing under Axel's skin, his lunar soul working to heal the wound vigorously. _Not like last time, it won't be like last time_ … Roxas swallowed nervously, his quicksilver burning hot within him, feeling his strength instantly draining as he pushed harder and harder into the other wolf, twisting their wills together and forcing the bullet back out of his chest, closing the damage done with swirling silver light. After a long moment something appeared against Axel's chest, the bullet pushing itself out of his skin and falling against his leg, tinking against the stones as it rolled away from them across the courtyard. Roxas, too fixated on healing Axel, didn't notice that the bullet rolled to Ventus' feet, the large golden wolf gritting his fangs and growling low in his throat as he took a menacing step forward.

"You would heal a stranger without a second thought," the wolf said icily, "But you wouldn't think to heal your only brother." His scar twisted as he curled his lips. "You abandoned me, you betrayed me, and then on top of everything else…you would dare set fire to the human city, risking the possibility of killing the girl I love…"

The blonde boy looked over at the wolf, meeting eyes with his brother. "You took everything from me, Ventus." He said softly. "I have no regrets about what I've done. You have no idea of the pain I've felt, the pain I've had to endure..."

"Oh, I've felt that pain, brother." The wolf replied with a snarl. "I felt it since the day you became infatuated with Cloud. Then, when you became his sentinel, I knew that I had lost you forever." His eyes flashed with fox-fire, his blue irises flickering with hate. "You're not my brother. You haven't been for years."

Roxas narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to protest, pushing himself up to his feet. But, before he could speak, Ventus raced forward and clamped his wolf-jowls around the sentinel's human throat, and silenced him with a loud crunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reunited, the brothers are at one another's throats. Literally.
> 
> Will the other boys be able to save Roxas from Ventus while fighting back the hunters? Or, by the time they're able to reach him will it already be too late?
> 
> And what about the humans? Will they sit back and watch the wolves fight for them, or will they stand up to the outsiders and fight alongside the wolves? Will there be peace between the villagers and the two clans, or will this fight end in nothing but bloodshed, just like before?
> 
> There's only so much help that the moon can give, the rest is up to those who believe…
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Memories

White light engulfed Roxas' vision as his head snapped back, Ventus' fangs digging deep into his throat. Pain seared through his entire body, the white light burning his eyes, and then suddenly he realized he was looking up at the noon-day son, reaching up a hand to shield his eyes. His hand seemed smaller than normal, Roxas looking down at his hands, noticing he wasn't in the courtyard anymore; he was sitting on the golden sands of the beach near his home, gentle waves washing up around his feet. He looked over at Ventus, his brother resting lazily at his side, his blue eyes looking up at Roxas when he felt his brother's gaze. "What is it?" he asked, looking up at Roxas curiously, his small, boyish features curved in his youth.

"N-nothing…" Roxas replied, noticing how high his voice was. He sounded like a child, his brother looked like a child, and his hands were small like those of a child… He pushed himself up off of the sand, stepping towards the ocean, the waves washing up against his small feet. He knew this place, it was where he had grown up, back before the sickness destroyed his home and took his parents from him. It was much further down the beach, past the far cliffs that bordered the alpha's territory. His parents had chosen a spot hidden in a gulf off the mainland, their home a small cave sheltered between the beginning of the sand and the edge of the tall grass of the plains. Golden wheat and corn grew plentifully in the nearby fields, there were many foxes and rabbits, and wild berries grew all throughout the grasses. Their home was a perfect mix of ocean and land; and the gulf they live in was apart from the larger, rougher sea, ideal for raising young ones to learn about the water. Roxas and Ventus had learned to swim here, how to find fish and crabs, and how to duck under the larger waves further out to sea to keep from being battered about. Here they had run through the fields, laughing and playing happily with their mother watching nearby, their father off hunting the plains for the family's dinner. Roxas had almost forgotten how much he had loved their home in the gulf. His sadness for the loss of his parents, and then the loss of his clan, had buried his happiness deep in the back of his mind.

Ventus walked over to him, reaching out and tugging at his hand, "Come on, Roxas! Let's go see if mom's finished with the fish we caught earlier!"

"Mom?" Roxas asked, his eyes going wide. His mother? He'd almost forgotten her face. She was blonde, like he was, with soft blue eyes. His father always told him he and Ventus took after his mother… Ventus pulled him along the beach, Roxas finding as they walked that he remembered the way. They walked up a small hill and the sand turned to soft grass beneath their feet, Roxas looking up to see the entrance to their small cave, his mother standing before the mouth of the den with her hand on her hip, staring down at her small cooking fire. Something twisted inside of Roxas, sadness washing over him. "M-mom…"

The tall, curvy woman looked over at her children, sensing something was amiss. Ventus noticed her gaze, looking over at Roxas, furrowing his brow when he saw that his twin was crying, large teardrops slipping down his cheeks. "Hey! What's wrong?"

"Roxas, dear, are you alright?" their mother asked, walking over to the boys, kneeling down before her crying son and reaching up to wipe his face with the corner of her dress. "There there, come now. Everything's alright, love."

"I've m-missed you." Roxas said, hiccupping and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, the woman lifting him up and holding him against her chest. "I've missed you s-so much."

The woman laughed; a beautiful, cheery sound. "Child, you've only been gone for an hour. What's come over you?"

Roxas sniffed, pressing his face against her neck, inhaling her scent. She smelled like wild lilac and blackberries. She smelled like warmth, and comfort, and home. His mother held him for a while, but then eventually sat him back down and returned to her fire, turning the skewers roasting their fish and crab over the blaze to make sure that they didn't burn. Ventus reached over and took Roxas' hand, watching him with curious eyes. He hesitated, and then asked, "Do you want to go get some blackberries for mom?"

Roxas looked over at Ventus, slightly dazed, but nodded. Was he dreaming? Or had everything else been a dream? Everything here was so real, so lifelike. His mother was here, and Ventus was here too. And his brother was close to him, so very close, and so protecting and loving. He had missed that brotherly bond they had shared in their childhood; he'd never realized it before, but now his heart ached with longing for that companionship. How had they drifted so far apart?

The boys left the den, walking across the wheat field and towards a small thicket in the middle of the plains, Ventus moving to gather handfuls of blackberries and carry them in his shirt. Roxas mimicked him, lifting the edge of his shirt and creating a small pouch against his stomach, gathering berries from a nearby bush, bringing one to his mouth and taking a bite. It was sweet and juicy, and real. So very real. He looked around, taking in everything around him with wide eyes. This place, here with his family. This is where he wanted to stay. Where his mother was alive, and Ventus was happy, and he had nothing to worry about and nothing to fear…

"Well, well. Do I spot two little pups filling their bellies with sweets before dinner?"

Roxas looked over, a large tawny wolf walked over to them with a wide grin, panting softly. "Dad?" the boy asked, searching the wolf's eyes. The wolf chuckled, lifting himself up and shedding his fur, appearing a moment later in his human form, walking over to Ventus and Roxas.

"Hey dad!" Venus said, bounding over to the tall, bronze, muscle man, "Look how many! We're taking them back to mom as a present!"

"Well I'm sure your mother will be thrilled." He said, grinning broadly. He looked from Ventus to Roxas, reaching over and patting the silent boy on the head. "You okay, son?"

"Y-yeah…" Roxas said, looking up at his father with searching eyes. He was so happy now, so sane. After their mother had died, he hadn't lasted a week. The sickness hadn't taken him; he had died of a broken heart. Then the twins had been left all alone…

"Well let's head back to the den then, I can smell your mother's cooking all the way out here. I'm sure she's waiting for us." The man turned and picked up what he had been carrying before the boys had spotted him, lifting several rabbits over his shoulder and walking back towards the beach. Ventus chased after him, holding his shirt high as he ran as to not spill any of the blackberries. Roxas stood there in silence, listening to the wind rushing through the tall wheat, nostalgia washing over him, a thick, surreal feeling flowing through him. Time seemed to slow down, Roxas looking down at the berries gathered in his shirt slowly changing from ripe succulence to thin, dry husks, the boy gasping and dropping his shirt, backing away from the thicket and looking out across the field once more.

Things were different now. Everything seemed to be turning a dull brown color. The wheat was broken and scattered. The husks were all that remained of the once plentiful corn field next to the wheat field, nothing left of the harvest. Roxas heard something coming from across the plains, staring out across the dying grass to see several wolves approaching. It was his father, and the alpha of their clan who lived closer to the sea near the cliffs, along with several hunters from the main den. They were talking as they approached, trotting briskly through the fields, the alpha's voice deep and resonating as he spoke. "The land is dying there, won't you reconsider joining us closer to the deeper waters? The fish are still bountiful there, and the gulls are in greater numbers than ever before. There's no reason for you and your family to have to stay out here in the furthest reaches of the gulf. The sickness with reach you soon, it's already overtaking the plains."

Roxas' father shook his head, looking over at the alpha with sad eyes, "I'm sorry but we can't leave here. This is our home. My wife…she couldn't bear to leave this place."

The alpha flicked his tail in mild irritation, but his eyes reflected his concern. "Do what you wish, but know that you put yourself at risk by staying here."

"We've overcome everything that's ever presented itself before," Roxas' father replied, "I'm sure that we will overcome this as well."

The alpha nodded, padding off across the field towards the cliffs to the northeast, the hunters following dutifully behind him, the wolves eventually fading out of sight. Roxas watched them go, worry twisting in his chest, his stomach coiling uneasily. The older wolf stood there for a long time, watching the alpha's departure long after he had faded from sight, then let out a long, troubled sigh. He turned towards their den, noticing Roxas for the first time, shaking his head and walking over to the boy, taking his human form. "Dad?" Roxas asked softly, his voice strained, his tone anxious.

"Everything with be fine, Roxas. I'm sure of it." He reached out and ruffled his son's hair, Roxas savoring the gesture of affection, leaning into the touch. "The crops will return, I'm sure of it. You mother will just have to make do without her blackberries until then."

Roxas smiled, nodding up at his father, the two walking together back towards their home, walking through the dry, brittle wheat and onto the soft, warm sand. Ventus was there, poking at a crab with a stick absently, the crustacean snapping at the offending object and scurrying sideways to try and escape. He looked up at their approach, smiling, "I was wondering when you would get back!" He looked back towards the mouth of the den, his smile fading as coughing echoed from the shadows. "Mom's been waiting for you."

Their father sighed then nodded to his other son, reaching out and patting his head before walking into the cave, Roxas watching him go with fear in his eyes. His mother was sick? No, she couldn't be sick. If she got sick she might not get better. He knew that her being sick was bad, but…he couldn't remember why. Was it because the medicine wolf was so far away? He lived by the main den on the other side of the beach. Maybe his father had talked to the alpha about him coming to see their mother. Maybe he could help her get better. But something inside of him told him that the medicine wolf wasn't going to be able to help his mother, even if he did come to visit them. Something told him that despite everything that they would try, and despite how hard his mother would fight for her health, in the end the sickness would overtake her. He shook his head back and forth, pushing away those bad, icky thoughts. Of course his mother would be fine! She was strong, and brave, and there was no way a little cough was going to be able to hurt her! He looked over at Ventus, his brother watching him with sadness in his eyes.

"What is it, Ven?" Roxas asked, his twin looking towards the den when they heard coughing again.

"I don't know," Ventus replied, "I just have a bad feeling."

Roxas hesitated then said, "Maybe we could find some blackberries for her. If we go further into the field, then maybe we could find some."

Ventus smiled slightly, nodding, "Yeah, let's go see if we can find some!"

The two boys turned and ran off across the beach, heading back to the thicket where the blackberries had grown once before. The bushes were dead now, nothing but thorns and brown leaves twisted around one another. The brothers looked around, and then Roxas pointed past the corn field where there were several shadowed dips in the grass. "I bet there's some bushes out there, you want to go check it out?"

Ventus nodded, then looked over his shoulder, "It's kinda far though, so let's hurry before dad comes looking for us. He'll ruin the surprise!"

Roxas laughed, taking off in a run across the field, the boys racing one another through the stalks of corn, crows cawing loudly and flying up through the air as they were disturbed. Ventus waved his arms at them as they flew by, mocking their cries with loud, obnoxious shouts, laughing as he looked over at his brother. They ran together to the far edge of the corn field then looked around. They normally didn't pass through the corn field; they stayed close to the edge of the beach where their mother could keep an eye on them while their father was out hunting. But, if they could find blackberries for their mother, then it might make her feel better... Roxas surveyed the land, finding the shadowed area he had seen before, pointing towards it. "There, do you see anything?"

"No, I can't tell," Ventus said, walking towards the dip in the field, "Let's get closer!"

Roxas followed after his brother, sniffing the air. Something smelled almost sour, the boy wrinkling his nose and coughing. What was that? He'd never smelled anything like it before… The closer they drew to the shadowed thicket, the stronger the smell became, the smell so pungent and sour that it almost made Roxas sick, Ventus halting his steps and looking back at his brother. Roxas took a few more steps forward, and then backed away with a terrified gasp. They weren't blackberry bushes; they were black nightshade bushes, which were extremely poisonous. Several corpses of field foxes lay nearby, slowly beginning to rot. "Oh no, they ate the poisonous ones…"

"I don't think that there are any blackberries left anymore," Ventus said, backing away from the thicket as well, covering his nose and mouth with his hand, coughing from the stench. "Do you think we should go back?"

The sound of something moving through the thicket drew the brother's attention, Roxas and Ventus looking over to see a small brown fox that was sniffing at the berries, licking their jowls hungrily. Then suddenly there was another rustling in the bushes, another small fox appearing, saying quickly, "No don't eat that! You know you can't!"

"But I'm so hungry…" the first fox said weakly, looking up at the black nightshade with ravenous eyes. "Just a little bite, that's all I want…"

"Don't eat any of it!" Roxas said, taking a step towards the foxes, the two tiny brown foxes looking up for the first time, gasping and disappearing back into the bushes. "No wait! Come back! What are you doing here?"

"Roxas, maybe we should go get dad…" Ventus said, eyeing the bodies of the dead foxes nearby. "I don't know if anyone knows about this yet. This could be important…"

"We can't just leave them here, they're not big enough to stay out here on their own," Roxas responded, looking back towards the bushes. "Hey! Come out here! We won't hurt you, promise!"

The foxes suck their heads out of the bushes, looking over at the two boys with wide eyes. The slightly older fox spoke up first, saying, "You can understand us? But you're humans!"

"We're not humans, we're wolves." Roxas called back, "We just haven't learned how to shift forms yet! We won't learn until we've lived another moon." The foxes didn't seem convinced, Roxas and Ventus exchanging a glance.

"What can we do to prove it to you?" Ventus asked, "You already said that we can't be humans, because we can understand one another. Humans can't talk to foxes unless you're in human form, right?"

"That's right," the smaller fox said, "Mom said that we have to use our fox-fire and change shapes before humans can hear us. Otherwise we just sound like normal foxes…"

"And I guess they wouldn't know that if they were humans…" the other fox replied, looking back over at the two wolves. "Okay then, we believe you. What are you doing out here? We've never seen wolves on this side of the field before."

"We were looking for blackberries," Roxas replied, "Our mother really likes them, but we haven't been able to find any."

"Us neither." The boy fox said, taking a few steps out of the nightshade, the little female fox following behind him. "Me and my sister haven't gone very far though, not without mom and the others…" He looked over at one of the nearby rotting corpses. "I knew that this stuff didn't smell like blackberries, but mom and the others had gotten really sick, and I think somehow it made them forget that they weren't supposed to eat these berries. They're not the good kind…"

"Yeah…" the smaller fox said, sniffing, "They ate so much, because we were all so hungry, but then they fell down and wouldn't wake up."

"How long have you two been out here?" Ventus asked, the foxes looking at one another then back up at the wolves.

"I'm not sure," the older fox replied, "It's been a few days I guess. Maybe longer."

"We found some mice to eat." The girl fox said, grinning proudly up at her brother. "It took me a while, but I caught them for us, didn't I, Denzel?"

The fox smiled down at his little sister. "Yeah, you're a great hunter, sis. Dad taught you way quicker than he taught me! You're tiny, so your footsteps are a lot quieter than mine…"

As the foxes laughed and talked back and forth, Roxas looked back towards the beach. They hadn't managed to find any blackberries, but they had found something else. Perhaps something a bit more precious. He thought to himself for a moment, then looked over at his brother and said, "Let's take them with us. We can show them how to catch fish!"

Ventus' face lit up, nodding enthusiastically. "That sounds fun! We could teach them how to hunt even better things that silly little field mice!"

The foxes listened to the wolves with their large, pointed ears, worried hazel eyes meeting brown. "But," the smaller fox said sadly, "What about mom?"

"I think we have to leave her now, Marlene." Her brother said softly. "I don't think she would have wanted for us to sleep in the nightshade anymore…"

The girl sniffed, and then nodded, "Okay…"

Roxas and Ventus led them back across the corn field, then the wheat field, and finally to the beach, the foxes gasping and batting at the sand that they had never seen before. Ventus watched them, laughing at their surprise as the sand shifted under their feet, Marlene falling a bit as she tried to walk across the beach. Roxas watched them with a soft smile, then turned and stepped into the cave, searching for his mother and father. Coughing echoed from the back of the den, Roxas padding closer, his bare feet making a soft sound against the floor of the cave. His father looked up as he approached, the man holding out a hand as Roxas stepped closer, wrapping his arm around his son's shoulder and rubbing his back gently. Roxas looked up at him with a worried expression then looked down at his mother, who was bundled up in several thick furs, coughing and rubbing her throat as if trying to soothe away the pain. "Hey mom…" he said softly, the woman reaching up with shaking hands and touching his arm, smiling softly.

"Roxas, dear. Why do you look so sad?" she asked, her blue eyes hazy with fever.

The boy shuddered, looking away from his mother's concerned eyes and up at his father, saying, "We thought that it would be a good idea to get mom some blackberries, so I went with Ventus to the far side of the cornfield. We thought we found some, but they were nightshade berries…" Before either of his parents could speak, Roxas said, "We knew not to eat them, but there were foxes there…" he shuddered, shaking his head. "They were sick, and they ate the berries. Their kits were there, but all of the older foxes were already dead…"

"The kits, where are they now?" his mother asked, squeezing Roxas' arm, "You didn't leave them there, did you?"

Roxas shook his head, "Ventus is outside with them now. We're going to teach them how to fish. They said that they haven't eaten in days, so we-"

His mother pushed herself up, climbing out of the pile of furs, her husband helping her to her feet. "Honey, what are you doing? You're sick; you need to stay in bed…"

"Oh, darling, I'm fine." She protested, smiling at him, "Those poor children need someone to look after them. I'll fix us all something to eat."

Roxas followed after his parents as they stepped outside, the boy looking out across the beach to the ocean. Ventus was there with a small boy and a small girl, their skin glowing a faint bluish color for a moment before fading away, the surprised wolf exclaiming excitedly and pointing at Denzel, then at Marlene. Roxas sighed, foxes were so lucky. They were born with the ability to shift between forms, whereas wolves had to make a pact with the moon, and pray, and draw power from their lunar soul. It was something that took time to master, and he was still far too young to be able to take his true form yet. He watched his brother and the foxes as they played in the surf, then looked over to his mother and father who were starting a fire, his mother smiling happily as she busied herself with the tender. Everything seemed back to normal for a moment, before suddenly his mother started coughing uncontrollably, dropping the sticks she'd been holding and covering her mouth with her hand, blood spilling through her fingers as her husband grabbed her to keep her from falling.

Roxas' whole body tensed up, his mind flashing through images of his mother's cough getting worse, of her growing thinner and ghostly pale… And then memories of the fever that overtook her senses overwhelmed him, the deadly fever that had made his brilliant mother her lose her mind. In the last few days before she succumbed to the illness, she had forgotten who her husband was, and Roxas and Ventus had been nothing more than strangers to her in the confines of her broken mind. When she closed her eyes for the last time, their father broke down. It was all he could do to bring himself bury her at the blackberry thicket; after he'd finished filling his beloved's grave he became a ghost of himself, losing his will to live. He blamed himself for her death, he felt that he should have made her leave their home and take refuge at the main den during the outbreak of sickness that swept over the plains…but he hadn't had the heart to force his love to do anything she didn't want to do. So he had stuck by her side, to her death, and now he wanted nothing more than to be by her side once more. His heart gave out about a week later.

Sadness engulfed Roxas' mind, but then he felt something, a glimmer of kindness, a warm hand touching his own. He may have lost his parents, but Ventus was still there. Ventus was always there. His twin, his only family, the only one he had left. When the alpha from the main den came for them, the small foxes they had befriended chose to stay at the sea-wolves' old den, taking refuge at the gulf and hunting the fish and miniscule crustaceans that still lived there. The foxes were small, and didn't need much to survive. The wolves, on the other hand, were growing rapidly, and would need to learn to accept their new home at the main den. The clan alpha and their father had been good friends, so they were welcomed into the inner den without a second thought, the two orphaned wolves quickly becoming accepted into the inner ranks of the clan. Cloud took to them quickly, taking Roxas and Ventus under his wing, but the closer Cloud and Roxas became the more alone Ventus felt. Before, all they had needed was each other. But as Roxas' heart healed, and he began to experience his first crush, his newfound feelings started to overpower his sadness. Ventus however didn't have that luxury, and was left alone to dwell on his sadness and lonesomeness. The other boy felt as if his brother had abandoned him for Cloud.

Roxas knew that Ventus wandered by himself a lot, but what he didn't know was Ventus had been sneaking back off to their old den to spend time with Denzel and Marlene. The foxes were his companions as they grew up together, and they taught Ventus how to use fox-fire as if he were one of them. He was never as good as they were of course, but when they practiced together the wolf held his own. When he began to use his fox-fire around the other wolves they never questioned it, assuming it was some strange gift from the moon. No one knew how hard Ventus worked to be able to wield a gift that was not his own, a gift that had been shown to him by the foxes his mother had accepted into their family and rescued from the outbreak.

In the coming weeks when Ventus asked Roxas to fight, the other wolf wasn't able to match his brother's newfound strength. He eventually stopped wanting to wrestle with Ventus, because his brother always played so roughly. Ventus of course, never realized this, and felt that Roxas just didn't want to be around him anymore. It created a rift between them, and as the days went on Ventus decided to keep to himself more and more. Roxas in turn spent more and more time with Cloud, his heart and thoughts filled with his growing affection towards the older wolf. The unspoken miscommunications between the twins slowly pushed them apart, until finally their brotherly bonds that had once held them so close began to unravel, and their loyalties began to waver.

Roxas felt his mind shifting with thoughts that were not his own, visions of his brother and Xion filling his senses. Xion's laughter, Xion's scent, Xion's eyes. Were these Ventus' memories? His feelings towards the human girl? Roxas could feel his soul twisting around his brothers, their minds linking together somehow, showing him memories of the wolf and the human laughing together, falling in love, kissing gently. Ventus loved her so much, he wanted to be with her so badly, and he had wanted his other family to love her as much as he did. His actions in bringing Xion to the den had been innocent in nature; he just wanted his family to be whole again. Roxas, Xion, Marlene, Denzel, and his clan… But in the end, his actions had ruined everything, and instead of bringing his family together, it had torn them even further apart…

Roxas could feel his heart pounding in his chest and skull, his lunar soul howling in anguish as pain ripped through his body once more, snapping back to reality, gasping as blood filled his mouth and poured out of his throat around his brother's fangs. Through his agony a single thought echoed through his mind; his brother had loved him, and had wanted them to be a real family again. He hadn't meant to hurt Cloud, or the clan. He hadn't wanted that at all. He had just wanted Xion to be a part of his world. He had been so hurt when Cloud had attacked him, and Roxas had pushed him away. The sentinel could feel tears slipping down his cheeks, silence ringing loudly in his ears as his brother crushed his windpipe, Roxas closing his eyes and preparing for his last breath.

Zack raced towards Ventus, grabbing him by the back of the neck and biting down hard, the other wolf howling out in pain, opening his jaws and allowing Roxas to slip free, the boy falling limply against the cobblestones of the courtyard. Axel was sitting nearby, trying to recover from the sudden shock of being shot at then immediately healed, his lunar soul twisting with Roxas' quicksilver. His green eyes flashed up, watching Zack rip Ventus away from Roxas, the boy lying in a growing pool of blood at the wolves' feet. Adrenaline soared through his veins, the red wolf morphing from human form as he rose to his feet, racing forward and knocking the tawny wolf away from Zack, slashing his claws against the boy's chest. As Axel dealt with Ventus, and Riku kept the human hunters at bay, Zack shifted into human form, reaching down for the fallen, bleeding boy sprawled against the ground, kneeling down and lifting up his head and shoulders, clamping his large hands around Roxas' neck in an attempt to stop some of the bleeding. The blonde boy gurgled and coughed, gasping for air, his blue eyes rolling back in his head, white light taking over his vision momentarily until he heard Zack's voice.

"Roxas! Roxas, if you can hear me, I need you to help me heal you," Zack pressed his other hand to the boy's shoulder blade, reaching down for a moment and grabbing Roxas' hand before pressing it beneath his own against the gaping wound on the sentinel's neck. "Please, Roxas, I don't know if I can do this on my own! Help me!"

Roxas sputtered and coughed up blood, looking up at the wolf with cloudy eyes. He swallowed and coughed again, his eyes slowly swirling with quicksilver, their souls linking together a moment later when the younger wolf exhaled, opening his mind to the alpha. Zack, feeling the connection, quickly took over, focusing all of his will into healing the sentinel, the runes scarring Roxas' skin beginning to glow faintly, until finally silver swirls began dancing across the injured wolf's neck, the torrential blood flow lessening a bit. The longer they channeled the slower the blood flow became, the alpha manipulating the sentinel's powers to graft his shredded skin back together, healing his windpipe and his jugular, but then suddenly the light faded from Roxas' eyes and exhaustion overtook him, the younger boy passing out. He was still bleeding slightly, but he wasn't in immediate danger of dying. Zack looked over his shoulder, searching for Axel and Riku. They both had their hands full, Axel and Ventus snapping at one another ferociously, Riku forcing the hunters back towards the inner city the best he could, one wolf against a dozen or more armed hunters. Zack looked back over his other shoulder, his violet eyes flitting over the faces of horrified mistrals, parents, and children. He had to do something. He had to end all of this.

The black alpha took a deep breath, then lifted his head and howled, the wolves surrounding the human city echoing his call, Zack looking up and catching Axel's eyes as the red wolf turned to look at him. In the brief moment he had between dodging Ventus' bites, he nodded to the older alpha, Zack nodding in return. It was time for the wolves to show their powers in numbers. If they had already done so much, just the four of them, to sway the humans to stop their foolish hunting party, then the arrival of their reinforcements should do the final trick in dissuading the humans' attack. Wolves appeared mere moments later, running through the alleys of the settlement as if they'd traveled there hundreds of times before, their eyes and ears wide and alert, red and black coats mingling together to create a solid wall advancing into the clearing, the humans crying out in fright and scrambling to get away. Paine, Vincent, and Xaldin were at the front of the line, Lightning, Wakka, and Reno standing alongside them. The large, intimidating guards and hunters let out echoing howls, the whole courtyard falling into silence save the snapping of Axel and Ventus' fangs. Then there was another small movement, someone pushing through the group of hunters, Xion appearing from behind the men and looking around with frantic eyes, quickly spotting Ventus locked into combat with Axel.

"No! Stop!" she cried, running forward, Axel stopping himself from lashing out at the last minute as the witch planted herself between the two wolves, stretching out her arms and glaring up at Axel with fire in her eyes. "I won't let you hurt him!"

"You're the little witch, aren't you?" Axel said, laughing shortly and tossing his head towards Zack and Roxas. "Do you see that boy over there? The boy who saved your life? Ventus almost killed him, his own brother! And you want me to stop?"

Xion's expression changed suddenly from anger to confusion, looking back at Ventus, the tawny wolf bleeding from several different scratches and bite-marks, panting and trembling slightly. He was hurting, and he'd been fighting for so long now that he was starting to shake, his adrenaline fading from his limbs. "Ventus?"

"Get out of here Xion," the wolf said, growling softly, "There's no need for you to get involved…"

"I'm not just going to let you get yourself killed!" she said, shaking her head defiantly, "What were you thinking fighting the other wolves! You said you wouldn't get involved!"

"Xion!" Ventus said exasperatedly, "Get out of here!"

Axel grit his fangs, flicking his tail angrily and walking away from the tawny wolf. "You're damn lucky your little girlfriend showed up when she did, fox-boy. It's not in my nature to kill someone in front of their loved ones."

Ventus growled at the red wolf and began to follow after him but Xion pushed him back, pleading with the tawny wolf to stop. The red alpha left the witch and the other wolf, hurrying across the courtyard to Roxas, dread twisting in his stomach. Zack looked up at him, sighing. "His bleeding won't stop. We have to find a way to help him, but I don't know how…"

Riku appeared a moment later, shifting forms as he ran across the courtyard from the hunters. He'd been instructing a few of the fighters and guards of the clans on what to do to push back the human hunters, the wolves following his instructions to the letter, surrounding them and disarming them methodically. The white wolf shed his wolf skin and knelt down beside Roxas, reaching out and holding his fingertips before the sentinel's closed eyes, searching for the boy's lunar soul. "He's very weak, and he's lost a lot of blood. I should be able to pull out the last of his strength but, then…" He looked up at Zack, then over at Axel, the red wolf taking his human form and kneeling down beside the other alpha. "After this, the rest will be up to you two."

"What do we do?" Axel asked, worry in his eyes as he looked down at Roxas. The blonde's breathing was shallow at best, blood trickling slowly from several puncture wounds in his neck. Ventus had almost killed him. It was a miracle Zack had managed to reach him in time.

The dark-headed boy looked over at the other alpha, then to Riku. "You want us to heal him?"

Riku nodded. "It'll be difficult, but it's the only way."

"We should take him back to the den before we try this." Zack said, looking over at the wolves who were circling the human hunters, Paine and Lightning shouting back and forth, ordering the humans to surrender. Xaldin was standing watch nearby, surveying the surrounding area for any human reinforcements. Several female wolves had gathered around the children, nuzzling them in a comforting manner. Their parents watched with careful eyes, but slowly seemed to be relaxing now that all of the fighting was over. Ventus and Xion were talking softly together at the far side of the square, walking off into the inner city, the witch glancing back towards the other wolves with concern. Ventus never looked back. The black alpha looked away from the retreating wolf, his eyes turning towards Riku. "It looks like the situation here has been taken care of, and I would feel better about healing Roxas if we weren't out here in the open. It feels too exposed."

The spirit wolf broke his gaze away from Zack and took a steadying breath, refocusing on Roxas, calling out the sentinel's lunar soul. "Wake up, Roxas…" he coaxed softly, tugging at the boy's consciousness, the blonde boy shifting against Zack's arms and blinking open his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but coughed instead, the black alpha rubbing his back comfortingly.

"R-Riku?" he choked hoarsely, then tensed up, "Ventus, where…"

"He's gone now," Axel said, a hint of a growl in his tone.

"Don't worry about him right now, okay?" Zack said, Roxas looking up at him sluggishly, "We've got to get you back to the den. Do you think you can stand?"

"I'll try…" Roxas said, lifting himself up, Axel and Zack taking his arms and pulling him gently to his feet. Riku reached out and took Roxas' face in his hands for a moment, their eyes locking together, something passing through the two boys and causing the sentinel to shudder.

"I think he'll be alright long enough for us to get him back to the den," Riku said as he pulled away, "But we'll need to hurry."

Between the three of them they managed to help Roxas out of the city, Riku scouting ahead as Axel and Zack carried the injured boy between them. Traveling in their human forms took longer, but Roxas wasn't awake enough to hang on to one of their backs long enough to ride up to the top of the valley. So they walked, their bare feet padding silently across the dirt and grass, the chilly night air biting into their naked skin. They had to stop once they neared the top as Roxas lost consciousness for a brief moment, Axel slapping him gently and coaxing him back to consciousness. "Hey, Roxas, listen to my voice, okay? You gotta stay awake."

"I'm sorry, Axel…" the boy whimpered, swallowing, blood trailing down the side of his neck, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. He was trembling, Zack holding him against his side, the younger boy coughing and blinking his eyes, trying to stay awake.

"Hold on a little bit longer…" the dark-headed boy said softly, beginning to walk again, Axel helping them along. Riku watched the other boys with worried eyes, walking ahead and looking down at them from the ridge at the top of the valley.

"I'll let the others know what happened, I'll meet you inside."

Zack nodded to the white wolf, Axel lifting up his head and watching as Riku disappeared out of their line of sight. "Do you think we'll be able to do this?" He asked, Zack glancing down at him.

"We have to be able to," the older boy replied, his eyes moving to Roxas, who was panting between them, his head dropped and his feet beginning to drag the ground, "We're his only chance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxas is on the brink of death, his quicksilver completely drained, his life fading away.  
> Luckily Riku is there to guide the alphas through healing the sentinel, but as difficult as attempting something like this will be, will Axel and Zack be able to actually save Roxas?
> 
> Ventus has retreated for now, but his quarrel with Roxas is far from over. Will Xion be able to talk sense into her beloved, or will the brothers remain enemies forever?
> 
> The wolves left behind in the city are managing the human hunting party so far, but will the humans submit? Or will the wolves be forced to fight for the peace they're so desperately seeking?
> 
> Morning is fast approaching, the dawn of a new day for the wolves, and the humans. The sparse remaining hours of night will prove to be the countdown between life and death for the wolves and hunters in the city, and Roxas as well. When daylight breaks, will Roxas still be alive? Or will the alphas have failed in their efforts? Will the humans agree to peace? Or will a full-blown war break out in the heart of the city?
> 
> More Quicksilver to come!


	10. Rebirth

Axel and Zack drug Roxas into the cave, Rinoa and Yuffie ushering them over to a pile of furs by the bonfire, Lulu running up to join them. Riku was waiting for them as well, Serah and Kairi asking him question after question, the girls glancing over at Roxas with worry. The blonde boy was near unconsciousness again, Axel letting go of his arm so Zack could lay him down against the furs, the boys gathering on either side of him, the blonde looking up at them in a daze. He wheezed in a breath then coughed, blood catching in the back of his throat, Riku looking over and saying, "Lift him up, he won't be able to breathe lying flat on his back like that, not until we can stop his bleeding."

Lulu reached over and helped Zack lift Roxas into a sitting position; the medicine woman brushing Roxas' sweaty bangs from his eyes and talking to the boy softly, "Easy, Roxas. Breathe slowly."

"Hey Lulu…" the boy said, coughing and turning away from her, covering his mouth with his hand weakly. Blood coated the inside of his palm, Zack looking down at him then over at Axel.

"Are the wounds on his neck re-opening?" the black alpha asked, the red-headed boy leaning closer and growling, his green eyes flitting up to Zack's violet.

"It looks like it. I guess his energy is so drained his body is starting to deteriorate…"

"Girls, it will be alright, but you have to let me concentrate for a minute." Riku said, mild irritation in his voice, Kairi tugging at his arm, Vanille and Serah holding one another's hands tightly. Yuffie walked over, pulling Kairi away from the white wolf, the red-headed girl looking over at the other girl with tears in her eyes.

"He's done so much for us, for all of us, he can't die…"

Riku patted her shoulder then walked over to the two alphas, kneeling down beside Roxas, looking up at Lulu. The medicine woman shook her head. "This is beyond me. There's nothing I can do for him."

"I didn't think there would be," he said, smiling over at her kindly, "Let us handle this." He sat down, crossing his legs, taking a deep, long breath and closing his eyes. Axel and Zack watched him silently, Roxas gasping for air between them. Lulu sat nearby with Rinoa, Tifa standing by the bonfire, her arms crossed over her chest. The girls watched with worried eyes and silent breaths, watching Riku as he reached out and touched Roxas' shoulder and reached up to hold another hand before his eyes. Something stirred in the air, Riku opening his eyes, his ice-blue irises glowing a brilliant white, the spirit wolf's mind linking with the sentinel's. He sat there a moment, his white eyes shifting to look up at Zack. "He showed you how to link your souls together, right?"

The black alpha nodded, "Yes, when he healed my sister." He glanced up at Tifa, who smiled at him softly, then the alpha looked back towards Riku.

The white wolf searched his eyes, asking, "You remember the feeling, what it was like when your lunar souls touched? I need you to try to do that again, only this time you're going to be initiating the link. Roxas isn't going to be able to guide you like he did before. You're going to have to search his mind and create the link yourself. Do you think you can do that?"

Zack nodded, glancing over at Axel. The red alpha's eyes moved to Riku's. "Should I do the same thing too?"

Riku nodded, pulling away his hands. "If you two can manage to find the link at the same time, the two of you should be able to work together to draw out Roxas' inner soul. His quicksilver is completely drained, but he can draw power directly through alphas. You should be able to reenergize his soul, and his quicksilver should return."

Axel nodded, looking down at Roxas. His eyes were half open, but he didn't seem to really be there. He reached forward and cupped a hand around Roxas' neck, trying to relax and reach out to the other boy with his heart. Zack did the same, reaching up and pressing a hand against Roxas' shoulder blade and allowing the younger boy to rest back against his chest. The blonde boy seemed to wake up a bit as they shifted him against the furs, blinking and focusing until his azure eyes found Axel's cat-green. "Hey…" Axel said gently, Roxas swallowing beneath his hand, blood dripping between Axel's fingers.

"Ax…" Roxas whispered hoarsely, the red alpha leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. "What…"

"Just trust me, Roxas. Trust us. We're going to take care of you, okay?"

Zack reached up and cupped his hand around the other side of Roxas' neck, touching the edge of Axel's palm. The black alpha sighed, feeling the boy breathing against him relaxing slowly, allowing the older boys to manipulate his will. Zack could feel something in the back of his mind, the presence he'd left before when he and Roxas had worked together to heal Tifa. "I think I might have it…" Zack said, looking over at Axel.

The other alpha was busy focusing on Roxas, his soul searching for the sentinel's, calling out to the other wolf gently. _Come on, Roxas, I know you're in there…_

Riku sat beside them, watching the two alphas with iridescent white eyes. His soul was humming with lunar energy, focusing on the dying sentinel, praying silently for guidance from the moon. _You brought me here for a reason. I know you want me to help them. Show me how, please. These alphas are unfamiliar in the ways of healing a sentinel; they're not Roxas' linked hearts. He needs help, please… Help us…_

The air grew thick suddenly, Riku's eyes flashing with brilliant light, the spirit wolf glancing up. The alphas seemed to be making their connections, Axel smiling and pressing his forehead a bit more forcefully against Roxas', Zack sighing and holding the blonde boy close. The two boys pressed closer together, holding Roxas between them, then the blonde boy gasped and jolted away from them, his eyes burning with quicksilver wildly, his hands clawing at the two hands wrapped around his throat. "What's happening? Axel asked, trying to hold the boy still so he could press their foreheads back together, his soul searing from the sudden explosion of energy from the sentinel.

"His lunar soul is rejecting your invasion," Riku said, "He'll be alright, but you're going to have to hold him down until he snaps out of it."

"That might be a bit harder that it sounds," Zack said, reaching down and wrapping a strong arm around Roxas' waist, holding the boy still. He could still feel his soul linked with Roxas', though the boy was squirming to get away, not recognizing the soul trying to sync with his own. "Roxas, it's us. It's Zack, and Axel. You've got to calm down…"

The blonde boy tried to push away from the dark alpha, Axel pushing his shoulders back against the older boy's chest, looking up at Zack. "His strength is slowly returning, but his bleeding is getting worse. He's strong, I don't know if we'll be able to hold him for long."

Riku reached forward and covered Roxas' eyes with his hand, pressing his palm and fingers gently against the sentinel's face, the boy gasping and freezing in place, the alpha's quickly securing him between them. "Roxas, you've got to trust us. Axel and Zack aren't going to be able to heal you if you don't let them inside."

The blonde boy trembled, his mind twisting with fear and pain, Riku feeling wetness against the inside of his hand. "C-Cloud…" The alpha's exchanged a glance, Riku slowly pulling his hand away, allowing the alpha's to regain their linked positions, Zack pressing against Roxas' shoulder blade while Axel leaned forward and pressed his forehead to the younger boy's. The two wolves pressed their other hands against either side of Roxas' bleeding neck, the blonde boy squirming slightly between them, unconsciously fighting off the two wolves in his mind. He didn't know what was happening, all he could do was feel. He was too far gone to force his body to relax. He was cold, and trapped in white light, and afraid. So very afraid.

Then he felt something. Something warm and sweet and comforting. Something familiar. And as he looked up he didn't see Axel's green eyes, he saw blue. Ocean blue, the purest, most intense blue he'd ever seen before. And he realized that he was staring up into Cloud' eyes, the golden alpha smiling down at him gently, reaching up and brushing his fingertips against Roxas' cheek. "I missed you, Rox." He said softy, the younger boy's eyes welling with tears, hot streaks pouring down his face as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Cloud's shoulders, the other boy holding him tightly.

"Cloud! I missed you so much!" the younger boy gasped, pressing his wet face against his lover's shoulder and neck, his heart bursting with emotions. "I never wanted to leave you! I didn't mean to! I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be silly, Roxas. I know you didn't want to go." The alpha said, chuckling softly, rubbing the younger wolf's back comfortingly. "I had to make you go, though. I had to keep you safe."

"I know," Roxas said as he pulled back, wiping his face and looking up into Cloud's eyes. "I know you did it because…because you…"

"Because I love you, Roxas." The alpha said tenderly. "Because I love you, so very, very much."

Roxas could feel his heart swirling with energy, his lunar soul howling, his heart and mind twisting around the other wolf, reuniting with the alpha that he had lost. Everything felt so right, so complete, memories flooding through his mind. Memories of sleeping with Cloud's arm wrapped around his waist, of Cloud nuzzling his cheek, of Cloud kissing him… The older boy looked down at him lovingly, seeming to be able to sense his thoughts, Roxas blushing lightly. Their first time, when Cloud had healed him after a mishap while fighting against his brother, flitted through his mind. His heart sped up, Cloud leaning forward and nuzzling his nose tenderly, pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. When he pulled away Roxas looked away, saying in an embarrassed tone, "S-Sorry, I probably shouldn't be thinking about that right now…"

Cloud chuckled again, replying, "Why shouldn't you? It's good that you're attracted to me, that you remember the experiences we shared together. I know I do."

Roxas swallowed, laughing nervously. "I had never expected that to happen. I was so thrilled that you just kissed me now and then. I never thought that we would…"

Cloud pulled Roxas close, the younger boy curling up against his chest, their hearts beating against one another's soothingly. "Did you ever regret it? I always wondered if I should have waited longer before coming on to you like that…"

"N-no! I would never regret sleeping with you! I just…" he hesitated, biting his lip, "I wish that we had been given more time together, I wanted to do it again sometime. But now, we'll never be able to…"

Cloud pulled Roxas tightly against him, kissing his cheek and neck, Roxas shuddering against him, feeling a tear fall down his cheek. "But we will always have our memories together." The alpha said gently, stroking Roxas' hair. "I'll never forget what that night was like. Never."

-x-x-x-

Roxas and Ventus were sparring, the sentinel trying out his new powers against his brother's fox-fire. They'd been matched pretty evenly at first, but Ventus had fought a bit too roughly, and had ended up burning Roxas pretty badly. The sentinel, unable to heal himself without the help of his alpha, had limped back to the den, Cloud rushing out to meet him.

"What happened?" he asked, Roxas shifting into human form and falling into the other boy's arms.

"It wasn't his fault," Roxas said, his arm, side, and leg a dark purple, his skin ripped in several places from the burn, "I asked him to, I wanted to see how much my powers had grown…"

Cloud shook his head, dipping down and picking up the other boy, Roxas gasping and clinging to his alpha's chest. The older wolf carried him through the inner cave and past several large fires to the back of the den, lying Roxas down against a smooth mound of sea-grass and fur and kneeling down beside him, saying, "I wish you would just stop a realize that you don't have to prove yourself to anyone Roxas. Not to me, or your brother, or Cid. We all have faith in you. You don't have to push yourself so hard!"

Roxas looked down, saying softly, "I'm sorry, Cloud…"

The alpha sighed, letting his irritation fade away, leaning down and kissing Roxas gently, the boy gasping and allowing the other boy to pull him closer, his eyes flitting closed as he pressed his hands against Cloud's chest. Their souls twisted together, Cloud taking over, his hands moving across the sentinel's arm and side, silver swirls dancing under the boy's blistered skin like thousands of tiny silverfish, Roxas sighing against the alpha's lips as relief washed over him. He'd never been healed by the other boy before, his soul on fire from the sensation of his alpha channeling energy through him, then back into him, his quicksilver circling through the two wolves and creating an extremely pleasant sensation between them. So pleasant, in fact, that as Cloud's hand moved down Roxas' leg he couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped his throat, a shudder of desire passing through him. Cloud pulled away slightly, looking down at Roxas, the younger boy's face blood red in embarrassment. "Are you okay?" he asked, his hand resting on Roxas' leg, quicksilver passing through the alpha into the younger boy's burned skin.

"I-I'm okay…" Roxas said, his heart pounding in his chest. "I just feel…" He shook his head, unsure of what to say.

"Does it hurt?" Cloud asked, concern in his eyes.

"No, it doesn't hurt," Roxas replied, fighting the urge to look away from Cloud. "It feels…really good."

The alpha blinked, redirecting his attention from healing Roxas' burn to syncing their thoughts, a blush crossing his cheeks as well. "Oh, I didn't realize an alpha healing their sentinel would feel that way, Cid never told me…"

Roxas swallowed, trembling against Cloud's chest. "I'm alright, really. You can keep going…"

Cloud and Roxas shared a blush as the younger boy's thoughts contorted his own words, the boy blushing crimson and looking away. The older boy, however, wasn't fazed; chuckling softly and continuing to reach down Roxas' leg, finishing healing the accidental wound. When he was done he pulled away, lifting up his hand and cupping Roxas' face gently. "Hey, don't do that; don't close yourself off from me." Roxas looked up at him, his eyes shimmering. "Don't be embarrassed just because you think that way around me, okay? There's nothing to be ashamed about."

"I'm sorry, I've never felt like this before," he pressed his fingertips against Cloud's chest, "I've never felt like I wanted someone to…to…" What he didn't say in words, Cloud could see clearly in his thoughts, the blonde's blush burning against his cheeks full force.

"You want me to do that to you?" Cloud asked softly, Roxas looking up at him with wide eyes.

"I…I mean, maybe someday…" he stammered, his azure eyes searching the alpha's bright blue, "If you wanted to…"

Cloud smiled, dipping down and kissing Roxas' lips gently, "Of course I want to, Rox. I want that more than anything."

The sentinel made a soft sound, feeling Cloud's will twisting around his own. The older boy was obviously as aroused as he was, rubbing against the younger boy's leg sensuously, looking down at his sentinel with bedroom eyes. Roxas' breath hitched, his pulse speeding up, Cloud's thoughts laid out before him as if they were his own. Cloud pinning him down, ravaging him, pressing inside of him… Roxas felt like his heart might give out, butterflies fluttering in his stomach like a whirlwind of feral eagerness waiting to be released. He wanted that, he did. Every fiber of his being wanted to be joined with the other wolf; mentally, emotionally, and physically. He wanted Cloud to touch him, to taste him, to make him feel like he'd never felt before. The older boy, is thoughts a steamy swirl of desire, seemed more than willing to oblige.

The alpha leaned down, Roxas gasping softly as the older boy kissed his neck. He looked up at Cloud, searching his eyes, the older boy smiling down at him then reaching up and tilting Roxas' chin to the side. "Relax for me."

"Okay…" Roxas whispered, allowing the other boy to take control, Cloud moving between his legs and pressing against him, the younger boy making a soft sound as their hips pressed together. "Cloud…"

"You want this, don't you?" the alpha asked, "You want me to touch you this way?"

"Y-yes," Roxas said, biting his lip and closing his eyes, "But I…I've never…"

Cloud laughed softly, leaning closer than before, their waists and torso's pressing together lightly, Cloud taking Roxas' hands and pinning them gently at his sides. "Then let me show you."

Roxas, fighting against his fear of the unknown, tried to relax. He wanted to be with Cloud, he did, but he didn't know what it would feel like, what to prepare for. He was sure that Cloud wouldn't hurt him, but there was still an irrational fear lingering in the back of his mind. The older wolf sensed this, their lunar souls twisting together, the alpha willing the boy to relax, soothing his tension away. Roxas could feel his muscles relaxing involuntarily, sighing as he felt his alpha flowing through his mind, uncoiling his stiffness and allowing his anxiety to dissipate. When Cloud dipped down and pressed his lips against Roxas' neck again, the younger boy felt nothing but pleasure, gasping softly as pleasant shudders passed through his body. His body tensed up automatically as the older boy's fingertips flitted down his sides, but Cloud willed his sentinel to relax under his touch, Roxas closing his eyes slightly, heat blossoming across his skin. "Cloud…" he panted, the alpha smiling down at him.

"It's alright. I'm just helping you relax. Tell me if you want to stop, okay?"

Roxas nodded, his face a rosy red, his eyes hazy with desire, Cloud dipping down and connecting their lips a bit harder than he had before. The sudden kiss had Roxas pushing up against the older boy, arching into that touch, his legs tightening around the older boy's thigh and grinding absently. He'd never felt so good, so hot, so out of control before. He wanted more; he craved the other boy's skin against his own, the taste of his tongue, the feeling of his hardness pressed against the dip of Roxas' hip. The older boy's arousal drew his attention, Roxas squirming against the alpha, his whole body humming with energy as he reached out for the other boy. Cloud looked down at the other boy curiously, lifting up and laying at Roxas' side, allowing the younger boy to look over his body. Roxas stared at him with wide eyes, reaching down and touching the other boy's hip, careful not to actually touch his arousal as he watched him with amazement shining in his eyes. Sure, they were always naked around one another, but he'd never actually seen Cloud aroused the way he currently was, his hard flesh standing rigid against his stomach.

Cloud chuckled at the younger boy's wide eyes, saying softly, "I won't hurt you Roxas, I promise."

Roxas glanced up at his alpha, a shudder passing down his spine, "You're so big…"

"You will be too, when you're a bit older," the alpha replied, leaning back in and reconnecting their lips, Roxas gasping as Cloud pushed him down against the furs and straddled his waist, a knee on either side of his hips. It left him exposed to Roxas' wandering eyes and bashful touches, the younger boy reaching up and pressing his fingers to the older boy's taut abs, then lower still until he dared to brush against the other boy's hardness. Cloud bit his lip, his eyes closing slightly, looking down between them and watching momentarily as Roxas played with him for the first time. "Nn…Roxas, don't do that for too long…"

"Why not?" Roxas asked, feeling through their link that the older wolf was thoroughly enjoying the sensation.

"Because I don't know how well I'll be able to control myself if you get me too worked up," he said with a soft smile, his voice a bit deeper than before, his breath hitching as Roxas wrapped his fingers around him and tugged. He closed his eyes, enjoying himself for a few brief moments before he reached down and pulled the younger boy's hand away, Roxas eyes widening in amazement when realizing the alpha was a bit bigger than before and his hand was slightly sticky. Cloud was a bit more turned on that he had originally thought, the blonde boy looking up at his lover, his heart hammering against his ribcage. The older boy reached out, his large, warm hands moving across Roxas' chest, rubbing against his nipples playfully. The younger boy moaned softly, squirming beneath him, his arousal trapped between them. He whimpered, rubbing against Cloud's thigh, his arousal throbbing with want. Cloud moved to accommodate his thoughts, returning to where he had been before with a leg between Roxas' thighs, the younger boy rubbing against him uncontrollably. The alpha chuckled softly, reaching down and wrapping his hand around Roxas' weeping cock, the younger boy crying out and trembling against his touch. "Feels good?" He asked gently, Roxas making a sound between a whimper and a growl, pushing up into the other boy's hand.

"Ah! Please, Cloud…" he panted, tears in the corner of his eyes, pleasure overloading his senses. He'd never been touched by someone else before, and he'd barely been brave enough to touch himself when he reached puberty. He'd never really had the desire to pleasure himself, somehow it felt detached, and made him feel lonely. So now, having the love of his life assaulting him with pleasure, Roxas felt as if he were about to explode at any moment. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to stand it. He wanted Cloud so badly, wanted all of him…

The alpha chuckled softly, reading his thoughts, stroking the sentinel a bit faster than before. "Alright love, but I need to you cum for me first. You're not going to last long enough if I take you now, and I don't want to hurt you before I finish." He leaned in, licking across Roxas' nipples, biting at the younger boy's chest gently, coiling his will around the sentinel's heated thoughts, coaxing him to completion. Roxas cried out loudly, writhing beneath Cloud, spasming in the older boy's hand suddenly and cumming hard against his stomach and chest, whiting out for a few seconds before Cloud's voice brought him back to the real world. "Easy Roxas, breathe. Easy…"

Roxas looked up at the older boy, Cloud leaning in and kissing him gently, long and lovingly as he held the younger boy close. He let the boy rest for a moment, then began stroking him again slowly, Roxas whimpering and squirming, his whole body singing with afterglow. "Ah! Cloud, I don't know if I can… Ah…"

"Trust me, love. You can." The alpha replied gently, kissing him a bit deeper than before, their tongues meeting and dancing for a few long moments while Cloud successfully turned Roxas into a writhing, hot mess beneath him once more. He pulled away, looking down at the younger boy with shimmering eyes. "Now, if you still want this, you're going to have to relax so I don't hurt you, alright?"

"I want this, I do…" Roxas said, pulse pounding in his ears. He wanted to have sex with Cloud, more than anything. His body was aching for another taste of the pleasure that his alpha had shown him a moment before. It had been mind-blowing, excruciating pleasure. It felt so good it almost burned. He had to feel it again. Roxas reached up, wrapping his arms around Cloud's shoulders, kissing the other boy desperately. Cloud held him close, stroking his sides and the dips of his hip gently, then he slid a hand up the back of the younger boy's leg and squeezed his ass, Roxas gasping in surprise.

Cloud chuckled, nuzzling the smaller boy's cheek. "Lay back, I want you to enjoy this."

Roxas withdrew from the older boy, his hands resting beside his face, his chest heaving as he looked up at the other blonde. Cloud reached forward and dipped his fingers in the pool of stickiness covering Roxas' navel, the younger boy blushing and squirming slightly. "I…I came a lot, didn't I?"

"That just means you really enjoyed yourself," Cloud replied softly, "And there's nothing wrong with that." He reached down with his two fingers and slipped his hand between Roxas' legs, pressing against the cleft of the younger boy's ass, slowly spreading the slick substance against his skin. "This will help," he said at Roxas' confused expression, "Trust me."

Roxas sighed, trying to uncoil his muscles and relax under his lover, but his fear was rising up again. Instantly Cloud was there, willing him to forget about everything else but the sensation of his fingertips against his backside, rubbing against his entrance gently, preparing the younger boy for what was about to come. He reached up and coated his fingers in the aftermath of Roxas' first orgasm again, then repeated his actions, spreading the sticky liquid against his skin with a tender, massaging motion. _This isn't so bad_ … Roxas thought to himself, finding himself moving against Cloud's fingers experimentally. Then, when the older boy pushed the tip of his finger inside, Roxas felt himself tense up automatically, but Cloud took control and forced him to relax, sparing the younger boy the discomfort associated with preparing for the first time. As the alpha pushed his finger in a bit more, Roxas felt something else. It wasn't tension, or discomfort, or pain. It was good, something that could possibly feel great, if Cloud was able to reach just a little bit further…

Cloud pulled back his finger, watching Roxas' face for any signs of pain. "You okay?" he asked softly, the younger boy looking up at him and smiling, nodding slightly.

"I'm okay, it doesn't hurt," he replied, Cloud smiling back at him and giving him a gentle kiss.

"Alright, I'm going to give you a bit more. Let me know if you want me to stop, Roxas. I'm serious. We don't have to do this."

"I want to, Cloud." Roxas said, reaching up and squeezing the alpha's arm. "I want to be with you."

The alpha watched his face for a moment longer, then leaned in and began kissing across Roxas' chest, lifting the younger boy's leg slightly and repositioning his hand. He pressed against the younger boy's entrance once more then pressed his first finger in again, then a second finger alongside it, Roxas feeling his muscles stretching around the digits, a pressure building inside of him. He made a soft sound, Cloud halting his movements, glancing up at the younger boy. He was making sure to read Roxas' thoughts as they came, relaxing his tension and heightening his pleasure, but he was getting mixed signals from the younger boy. "Roxas?"

"Give me a second…" Roxas said, taking a few deep breaths. It wasn't necessarily unpleasant, especially with Cloud keeping him relaxed, but it was new, different, strange. He moved against the older boy's fingers, then said softly, "I think I'm okay now…"

Cloud waited until Roxas' mind returned to a swirl of comfortable half-pleasure then pushed forward again, scissoring his fingers and stretching the younger boy, Roxas lifting his hips ever-so-slightly and sighing as his body adjusted. Then suddenly, as Cloud dove a little deeper, he pressed against something inside of Roxas that had the boy seeing stars, the younger boy letting out a whimper akin to a scream. The alpha smiled down at his sentinel, flicking his fingertips against that spot again, Roxas tossing his head to the side and clawing at Cloud's arm, sounds of ultimate pleasure pouring from his lips. "That's it, Roxas…"

" _Ah_! Cloud, what are you… _A-ah!_ "

"That's your sweet spot," Cloud said gently, pulling his fingers back and allowing the younger boy to gasp for air, his mind racing with thoughts so quickly that the alpha was having trouble keeping up.

"I-it's going to feel like that…when you're inside of me?" Roxas asked, trembling uncontrollably, looking up at his alpha with glistening eyes, tears of pleasure gathered along his lashes.

"It'll feel even better." Cloud said with a smile, lowering himself down to where he could kiss Roxas' lips gently, the younger boy mewling and arching up into him, kissing his passionately. Cloud licked across Roxas' tongue, nibbling at his bottom lip, then shifted between his legs, lifting up the boy's hips and rubbing the tip of his arousal against the younger boy's ass. They broke apart, panting for air, Roxas pressing against Cloud, whining helplessly. "You sure?"

"I want you, Cloud, please…" Roxas said in response, pushing himself up and kissing the older boy's lips. "Please, I don't know how much longer I can stand not having you inside me…"

Cloud's breath hitched, pulling Roxas against him a bit harder than before, his cock pushing against the younger boy's entrance, prodding him gently. He reached down, guiding himself against the cleft of Roxas' ass, then pushed up and in, filling him with the tip of his thick arousal, the sentinel gasping in surprise. Cloud's hardness was much bigger than his fingers, and as he pressed into his body Roxas could feel every single one of his muscles shifting around that massive length, the younger boy arching up against the alpha, squeezing his eyes shut as a tear fell down his cheek. "Roxas…" Cloud said sadly, stopping himself from pushing in any further, but the younger boy shook his head, opening his glossy eyes and looking up at his lover.

"I'm alright, don't stop…"

Cloud hesitated, then when reading the boy's thoughts, smiled softly and pushed in once again, making sure to take his time and allow the younger boy's tight body to adjust. Roxas' mind was swirling around the sensation he'd felt a moment before, Cloud determined to make him feel it once again, pushing in to the hilt and waiting until Roxas looked up at him with need-filled eyes before he pulled back, then pushed in again. Instantly he hit that spot, Roxas crying out and tensing around the older boy, Cloud gasping and clenching his hand a bit tighter against the sentinel's hip, a pleasant shudder wracking his shoulders. "R-Roxas, easy…"

"Nn! Cloud, that feels so…so…" he fought for words to describe the sensation, but when Cloud pulled back and pushed forward again his mind lost all coherent thought. " _Ah_ …!"

The alpha closed his eyes, reveling in the sensation of Roxas enveloping his length, careful not to rush things, but quickening his pace ever-so-slightly. From the sounds Roxas was making he was doing things right, the younger boy twisting up and attaching himself to Cloud's shoulders, his fingernails biting into his lover's skin. Cloud opened his eyes and looked down at him, watching as the younger boy's face contorted in pleasure, panting and moving his hand between them to wrap around the sentinel's hard cock once more. He began stroking the younger blonde gently, pushing forward, hitting his sweet spot straight-on. From the way Roxas was tightening around him he could tell the younger boy wasn't going to last much longer, and as excited as he was himself, he wouldn't be far behind him. Cloud licked his lips, dipping down and kissing Roxas hotly, the other boy moaning into his mouth and pressing into his touch, twisting his legs around his waist and meeting his thrusts. Cloud pulled away, panting heavily, his lips brushing down Roxas' neck and chest, the younger boy crying out with each thrust. Roxas trembled against him, whimpering, digging his fingernails in a bit deeper and pulling Cloud close. The older boy smiled, kissing the younger boy again, tears shimmering in Roxas' lashes when he looked up at the alpha.

"I-I don't know if I can last much longer…" he panted, biting his lip as Cloud moved into him again, the older boy nuzzling his cheek.

"Alright, are you ready?" he asked softly, the younger boy nodding against his neck.

"I'm ready…"

As white light engulfed Roxas' vision, ultimate pleasure sending his body into a searing climax, he felt Cloud's lips pressing against his own. His lunar soul sang, merging with the other wolf's for a few incredible moments, and then he passed out in the other boy's arms.

-x-x-x-

Cloud chuckled, holding Roxas close, stroking the boy's hair. Roxas could feel his heart hammering in his chest, that sweet memory leaving his mind a moment later, the younger boy looking up at his alpha with a sheepish smile. "I'll always remember waking up with you holding me, you were always there for me, no matter what…"

The older boy smiled down at him, his eyes shining. "I love you Roxas, always."

"I love you too," Roxas replied, nuzzling against the older boy's chest, sighing in complete comfort, wrapped in the other boy's arms. The small, blonde boy allowed himself to drift off, his eyes closing, lulled into a mild sleep as Cloud held him, rubbing his back gently. The alpha's eyes watched the younger boy lovingly, but something didn't feel right. Why was Roxas here? Why now? What had happened on the other side… He could tell that Roxas was fading from life, that he wasn't completely with him yet, and that someone on the other side was calling for the sentinel, trying to draw him back. Cloud cuddled his lover close, Roxas smiling unconsciously and nuzzling closer. He had missed Roxas so much. He wasn't planning on letting him go.

-x-x-x-

Axel searched Roxas' eyes, the boy's gaze passing right through him. He was seeing something, but it wasn't the real world, the red alpha glancing over out of the corner of his eye at Riku. "Are you sure he's alright?" he asked, disturbed by the sudden calmness that had overtaken the sentinel.

"I think he's with Cloud," Riku said, his blazing white eyes looking over at the questioning alpha, Axel and Zack both making audible sounds of worry. "He hasn't crossed over yet, but he's at the edge of no return. If you're going to heal him, you need to do so now."

Zack looked over Roxas' shoulder to Axel, saying to the other alpha, "I can feel his core, if I reach out to him now I think I should be able to forge a link with him."

"I can feel it too," Axel said, searching Roxas' unfocused eyes, "Hold on just a little bit longer, we're coming for you, Roxas…"

-x-x-x-

Paine and Lightning exchanged a glance, feeling something in the air shifting. The two guards looked around for their companions, quickly spotting Reno and Vincent at the far corner of the courtyard, talking to a few of the human guards of the city, the boys laughing comfortably. Now that the humans had stopped panicking and running around like madmen they seemed to be relatively at ease. Likeable, even. The hunters were proving to be a bit more difficult, especially the outsiders, but Wakka and Xaldin were slowly persuading them to vow never to raise a gun to the wolves again, then sending them back off to their homes one by one. Lightning lifted her nose, sniffing the air. "It will be morning soon. Do you think it's the daybreak we sense?"

Paine shook her head, "No, it's something else. It feels like the moon." She looked off towards the horizon, watching the edge of the moon slowly sinking below the skyline. "Whatever it is, it's powerful, and ancient."

Lightning nodded, sniffing the air again. Somehow she could feel Axel, but he seemed further away, as if he was crossing into another plane of existence somehow. She had always had an uncanny way of being able to sense her brother, but this was nothing like she'd ever felt before. "Be careful, Ax…" she whispered to the air, looking up into the golden-pink dawn.

-x-x-x-

Ventus twisted suddenly, Xion looking up at him worriedly. "What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked, the boy holding up a hand and stopping her, listening intently to the silence surrounding them.

"Roxas…" he said softly, looking down and clenching his hands angrily, growling faintly and closing his eyes. "I think…I may have actually killed him…"

Xion furrowed her brow, looking up at her lover with sad eyes. "Oh, Ventus…"

-x-x-x-

Riku felt the two alphas descending into Roxas' mind, reaching out and touching the sentinel's shoulder, feeling their connection grow. They seemed to be hitting his core well enough, the sentinel's lunar soul humming in response to the two alphas' wills. They ushered in a wave of healing energy, quickly stitching together Roxas' neck, his bleeding finally coming to a complete stop. They worked together, Axel focusing on repairing Roxas' tissues and muscles while Zack focused on rejuvenating his depleted soul. Riku could hear their thoughts, the two alphas talking to one another through Roxas, echoing in the sentinel's mind.

"Do you have him?" Axel asked, feeling Zack nodding though he didn't visibly see the action.

"I think I might need your help when you're done, he doesn't seem to be waking up…"

Axel let his soul flow through the link he shared with Roxas, meeting Zack in the middle, coiling around the dark alpha's soul inside of the sentinel's heart.

"Yeah, I can feel it too." Axel said softly, "It's like he's not even here at all."

"I can still feel him, barely. It's like the flicker of a candle about to go out."

"But we healed him, right?" the red alpha asked worriedly, "Wasn't that what we were supposed to do?"

The black alpha shook his head, "I think he held on for as long as he could. I'm not sure if we made it in time…"

"You can still bring him back," Riku said, the spirit wolf appearing in spectral form before the two alphas, Axel and Zack looking over at the other boy. "But you're going to have to take him back from Cloud, and even then, I'm not so sure that Roxas will be willing to leave his alpha again…"

"But he has to, he can't just die…" Axel said, gritting his fangs.

Zack hesitated, then said, "They loved one another, Axel. What would you do if you lost your one true love, and then found out that you could once again be reunited with them. Would you want to let go?"

The red wolf paused, looking between the other two wolves. "Then…what do we do?"

Riku's eyes flashed with blinding white light, and his voice echoed through them with a deafening resonance. "You're going to have to reason with Cloud."

-x-x-x-

Cloud looked up, feeling another presence approaching. _What is that…_

A moment later a wolf appeared, a brilliant, white wolf, his eyes shining as brightly as the moon. "Cloud," the wolf said, the alpha looking over at him warily, pulling Roxas against his chest protectively. "We need you to let Roxas come back to us. He doesn't belong here."

"Who are you?" the alpha asked, "What are you doing in this place? This isn't a realm meant for the living."

"Which is exactly why you have to let us take Roxas back," the white wolf said softly, searching Cloud's sapphire eyes. "I know it's hard, but it's not his time to die…"

The white wolf faded away a moment later, two other wolves appearing; one fiery red, the other jet black. Cloud could instantly sense that they were alphas, his lunar soul reaching out to greet them automatically. They watched him with curious, amazed eyes, then the black wolf spoke. "Roxas has told us so much about you. I'm sorry we never had a chance to meet before."

Cloud nodded to the wolf. He was a moon or so older than him, and he could sense the kindness in his words. "If you are the wolf from Roxas' thoughts, then you have shown great kindness and compassion to my sentinel. You have my thanks."

Axel took a step closer to the golden alpha, looking not at him, but at the boy in his arms. "Is he alright?" he asked, looking up at Cloud, his green eyes shining with worry.

The older blonde boy pulled away slightly, Roxas sighing and curling back up against him, Cloud pulling him close once more. "He's fine…" the older boy replied. "He's safe here, with me."

"Cloud, you can't just keep him here." Axel said, his tone anxious, "He'll die if you don't let him go."

"He wants to be here with me." Cloud said, looking between the other two alphas. "I know you can sense it, the same way I can. He's longed for this moment, for us to be together again. It would break his heart to tear us apart."

Zack hesitated, thinking about the other alpha's words, then asked gently, "But, weren't you the one who asked him to live for you in the end?"

The atmosphere seemed to change, Cloud looking up at the dark alpha with surprise in his eyes. He'd almost forgotten his last words to his beloved, when he had taken over his body and forced him to run away to safety, and leave him to bleed to death in the sand. _I want you to live. Can you do that for me?_ It had broken his heart then to push Roxas away, but he had done what was best for the boy. He knew it hadn't been his time. And now, that same feeling came over him, that same desire to protect, to push away…

A smile twisted the golden alpha's lips and he nodded to the older boy, looking up at him with soft eyes then glancing over at the red wolf beside him. "You two seem to care a great deal about Roxas. I want you to take good care of him for me, alright?" He reached out, sensing for the other wolf he knew was lingering nearby. "You too, spirit wolf. Take care of my sentinel."

Riku's spectral form swirled into view for a brief moment, the white wolf nodding respectfully to the tawny alpha. "It would be my honor."

Cloud smiled, "Good…" He looked down at the boy resting against his chest, then reached up and stroked his hair, Roxas opening his eyes and looking up at him sleepily. "Hey, Rox…"

The blonde boy smiled up at Cloud lovingly, reaching up and pressing his palm against his alpha's chest. "I love you…" he whispered softly, the alpha taking his hand and squeezing it tightly.

"I love you too Roxas. And I will always be with you. But it's time to go."

Roxas' eyes flew wide open, the boy gasping in lungs full of air as if he'd been submerged underwater. Axel and Zack were right there, the alphas holding him gently, just as Cloud had been a moment before, Riku's hand grasping his shoulder and grounding him back to reality. Roxas sputtered, looking around wildly, searching for those amazing ocean-blue eyes. But then he realized what had happened, and tears welled up in giant pools in the corners of his eyes. The sentinel hitched forward, sobbing uncontrollably, Zack stroking his hair while Axel nuzzled his cheek.

"It's alright, Roxas, we're here…" the red alpha said softly.

"You're alright, everything's going to be alright…" Zack soothed, his violet eyes shimmering as he watched the weeping boy.

Riku sat there silently, squeezing Roxas' hand, unspoken words caught in his throat as he tried not to cry. He inhaled sharply, blinking away tears. He had to be strong for Roxas. He had to be there. He'd made a promise, and it was a promise he intended to keep.

Roxas reached up and wiped his face, hiccupping as he leaned back against Zack's arms, the dark-headed boy looking down at him, rubbing his back and whispering him soft reassurances. "It's alright… You're safe…"

Roxas laughed softly, sniffing and shaking his head. "You guys brought me back. I'm so mad… So mad that you took him away from me, and so angry at him for letting me go…but…" he looked up and met Axel's eyes, then looked over at Riku, then back over his shoulder at Zack, "I'm glad you came for me. Thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't…"

"Don't worry, Cloud will be there waiting for you when the time comes," Riku whispered, "You'll see him again."

Roxas nodded, his eyes spiraling blue and silver, hope swirling warm and soothing within his heart. "I know I will."

-x-x-x-

The wolves who had been watching the exchange between the alphas, the spirit wolf, and the sentinel were silent, some of the girls shocked, the other girls a mixture of happy and relieved. "What just happened…" Tifa asked, Zack looking up at his sister.

"What's done is done. All that matters now is that everyone is safe." He pulled away from Roxas, the blonde boy looking up at the dark alpha. "I'm going to head back to the city to check on the others."

Axel nodded, pushing himself to his feet and saying, "I'll go with you."

Roxas and Riku watched the two alphas, the sentinel seeming to be in no hurry to move. Riku hesitated, then said, "You two go ahead. Call for us if there's any trouble."

Zack and Axel shared a glance, then the dark alpha nodded to the white wolf, turning towards the mouth of the cave, Axel following after him. Riku watched them go for a moment, then returned his gaze to Roxas. The boy seemed to be in a daze, reliving the experience he'd shared with his alpha over and over in his mind. Riku could sense his inner turmoil, but he wasn't connected to him in the same way the alphas were, and now that they were no longer linked he couldn't clearly read his thoughts. Yuffie rose from her spot beside the red wolves and stepped over to the boy, crouching down beside him and touching his arm gently. Roxas looked over her, blinking as he came out of his thoughts, smiling at her softly. "Hey Yuffie…"

"Hey…" she said softly. "Are you hungry?"

Roxas paused, thinking about her question, then nodded when he felt his stomach rumbling hungrily. "I could use a bite…"

The girl looked over her shoulder, motioning for Kairi. The red-headed girl rose to her feet, padding over to the other girl, helping her gather together several baskets overflowing with food. Riku settled down beside Roxas, the white wolf watching him with ice-blue eyes, reaching out his hand and touching the boy's leg. Roxas turned and looked over at him, meeting his eyes, a sad smile across his face. "Thank you, Riku…" he said softly. "I could feel you there before Zack and Axel reached me. I can't believe that you were able to follow me into death like that. I never imagined that you three would go to those lengths to get me back."

Riku smiled at Roxas, patting his leg. "We had to come for you, Roxas. Who else is going to take all the credit for saving the clans from the human hunters?"

Roxas blinked, furrowing his brow, "But it wasn't just me, we all played our parts…"

Riku held up a finger, silencing the other boy, "But if it weren't for you forcing Axel and Zack to put their differences aside they never would have been able to work together like that. I guarantee that they wouldn't have thought to band together to push back the humans without your help, and without that experience they wouldn't have been able to work together to heal you."

Roxas looked away slightly, "I guess so…"

The white-haired boy sighed silently, then said with a soft smile, "And besides, it's rather boring traveling around by yourself for a full year. And since you were heading to the western sea, and I haven't ventured there yet, I thought that you might want to join me during my year of drifting."

Roxas' eyes went wide, gawking at the other boy. "You want me to what?"

Yuffie and Kairi settled down beside them, the girls digging through the baskets and offering the other two wolves pieces of meat and fruit. Riku took an apple from Kairi's extended hand, taking a large bite, his fangs flashing in the firelight. He took his time chewing, his cheeks curved into a mischievous grin, motioning for the younger boy to eat. Roxas stared at him or a few long moments then reached over and grabbed a piece of meat from Yuffie's basket, the girl taking a piece for herself as well and biting into it, looking between the two boys.

Serah and Vanille joined them, and then Rinoa, Tifa, and Lulu; the older girls each taking a piece and then backing away again, standing together in front of the bon fire, talking to one another softly. Rinoa glanced over, smiling at Riku and Roxas fondly, her violet eyes shimmering with unspoken laughter. The blonde boy sensed he was being watched, glancing up and meeting her eyes, the girl nodding to him in acknowledgement. Roxas smiled up at her for a moment, then turned back to Riku, taking another bite from his chunk of meat. He thought about Riku's offer, running the scenario through his mind. He was heading to the western sea. Riku was on his year of drifting from the Moon Temple. They were heading in the same direction, and Roxas, thought he had just met the boy, already considered him to be a close friend. He did agree with Riku that traveling alone wasn't exactly easy, or fun, and that if they traveled together it would provide both companionship and protection. Not to mention the fact that Riku seemed knowledgeable in the ways of the world, and would prove to be extremely useful in the event that something unforeseen were to happen. Like coming across another pack of wolves who were protective of their territory, or another human village full of hunters, or something as simple as getting lost on the way…

Roxas chewed slowly, then swallowed, and felt a smile twisting his lips. "You really want to come with me?"

Riku laughed, "I thought you were the one coming with me!"

The sentinel searched the other boy's eyes, feeling something inside of him churning. Somehow it felt like Cloud was there, the older boy watching over him protectively, nodding and giving a smile of approval. This was living, wasn't it? He'd promised he'd live for Cloud, and life itself was the ultimate adventure. And now, even though Cloud was gone…with Riku and the others at his side, he wouldn't have to experience his adventure alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, I give you the conclusion of Quicksilver.
> 
> For those of you who'd like to see what happens when Roxas and Riku reach the western sea, I will see you in the epilogue; the last and final chapter of our story. 
> 
> There is of course that unresolved conflict with Ventus lingering in the air...  
> I'm sure the boys will be able to work out something about that too.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I hoped you enjoyed the story.  
> I'll be posting the epilogue soon! See you next time!


	11. Epilogue

Roxas' eyes were locked onto the sea. He'd missed that blue, that endless expanse of ocean stretching on further than even his wolf eyes could see. Though this was not the sea he had grown to love, it was its mirror in every way. Somewhere here, across these glittering sands, were hidden the only remaining sea-wolves known to exist. He'd traveled all this way to find them, and still he had yet to see a single sign of anyone, human or wolf. It was beginning to weigh on him, a dread hanging heavy in the air as he tried to remember to breathe and surveyed the beach before them. Riku stepped closer to his side, rubbing his shoulder against the other wolf's, his white fur shiny and bright against Roxas' brilliant tawny-gold. His presence was a comfort unlike any other, and Roxas was grateful for his company but it did not quite dull the aching in his heart. He had so hoped that he would find the others, that he would at long last make contact with the sister clan he'd heard so much about moons upon moons before. The beach they'd found at the west-most point of the land had to be what they'd been searching for, and though beautiful beyond belief it appeared to be completely abandoned. He hesitated a few moments before stepping out across the sands, leaving the grasslands behind as he began to explore, Riku silent at his side. The two wolves left a trail of paw-prints in their wake, Riku ever-watchful and ever-present, keeping close to Roxas' side as the sea-wolf set off across the beach. The wind was warm and salty, tossing their fur back and forth as they went, and finally after a long moment of silence Roxas spoke up.

"It seems they were just stories after all. I hadn't expected that…to not find anything once we arrived." Blue eyes flit over to meet the white wolf's gaze, Riku perking his ears towards his companion and offering him an encouraging look.

"These sands look untouched, but there are many places along the coastline that could be made into shelter, and some of those possibilities are not directly on the beach." He nodded towards the horizon, where the beach curved inwards towards the grasslands once more, a series of rocks jutting out of the ocean to make small islands parallel to the coast. "Why don't we explore a bit more, we may still find them yet." Roxas nodded, glancing towards the rock formations as well before huffing softly, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Riku could sense his unease, sighing softly and pressing his muzzle into the fur at Roxas' neck and nuzzling him affectionately. Roxas couldn't help but hum out a soft tone and lean into the other wolf's touch. Riku always knew how to calm him down and comfort him. Maybe all white wolves were so intuitive, but Roxas liked to think it was due to the connection they'd formed during their travels together across the lands. They'd spent a great deal of time alone together since leaving the red and black clans, and formed a connection more intimate that Roxas had shared with any other wolf save his former alpha. That bond he had shared with Cloud, that was something that could never be replaced. But Riku tried the best he could, and his efforts were not in vain. The two wolves held great affection for one another, and were inseparable now that they'd spent these past few months together, always at the other's side. Roxas still wasn't quite sure how he would bare being separated from Riku once his year of wandering from the Moon Temple was over, but they would conquer that divide once they came to it. For now they were happy, and content.

Or until this moment, they had been anyway. They'd had a goal, a mission, but now…to find the beach abandoned without a trace of paw-prints or any scent to guide their search… With Roxas lost in thought, he didn't notice at first as Riku halted his steps, falling behind a bit and tilting his ears towards the waves for a moment before perking them to the side and back again to the sea. "There's something there…"

Roxas stopped as well when hearing his companion's words, watching Riku and then tilting his ears towards the surf as well, eyes picking out movement along the waves. There was something there, someone swimming along the surf. Was it a human? A wolf? He couldn't quite make it out from their current position, and so he started towards it at a cautious gait, Riku following right behind him. As they neared Riku stayed back, watching, waiting, a wolf's grin across his muzzle. Roxas proceeded ahead alone, ears perking towards the girl swimming in the foam-capped waves, and when she noticed him she went still and stood up in the shallow waters, her blue eyes wide with wonder. They watched one another, unmoving for what seemed like a small eternity, and then the girl stepped slowly from the shallows onto the beach, making no attempt to hide her naked form from the wolf watching her so intently. Her skin was pale, flawless and flushed golden bronze along her shoulders and cheeks from exposure to the dazzling sun. Her hair was blonde, clinging to her neck and chest as she clasped her hands together, tilting her head slightly to the side, her eyes never leaving Roxas' own brilliant blue. Roxas felt like his heart might burst with excitement, and when she took another hesitant step forward across the sands he felt his form shift almost of its own accord, and a moment later he was padding on bare feet forwards to greet her, a shy smile curving his cheeks.

She halted her steps a few paces away from him, and Roxas stopped as well, searching her eyes and letting out a soft relieved laugh before saying, "I was afraid I'd come all this way for nothing. You're the first wolf we've seen since we arrived here."

The girl returned his soft laughter for a moment before glancing past his shoulder towards Riku, then returning her attention to Roxas once more. "You're traveling with a moon-wolf? Where did you two come from?"

"I'm from the eastern sea, it's kind of a long story…" He reached up and rubbed at the back of his head with an awkward little laugh, before searching her eyes once more and offering, "My name is Roxas."

"I'm Naminé." Her smile was bright, her laughter a sweet melody that echoed across the waves crashing against the beach, warm and inviting. "Come with me, I'll take you to the others." She reached for his hand, and when their fingers linked Roxas didn't pull away. She tugged him lightly, glancing back towards Riku as well. "You're welcome to join us, I'm sure you both have had quite a long journey."

Riku perked his ears towards the girl, his eyes flitting between her and Roxas for a moment before he glanced away, pawing at the sand lightly and casting his gaze towards the horizon, where the ocean faded into the sky. "You two go on ahead, I'll find you."

Roxas hesitated a moment, watching Riku, wondering what he was thinking. When Naminé tugged him along with her again he followed, walking across the warm sands hand-in-hand while marveling at the color of her hair in the sunlight. It had been so long since he'd seen another tawny wolf, he had almost forgotten how comforting it could be. Other than when he had spoken with Ventus, before leaving Kotonia, but that had been months ago. They still had a long ways to go before trusting one another again, but at least they had said their goodbyes before Roxas and Riku had set out on their journey, allowing the healing process to finally begin. Naminé glanced back at him now and then, squeezing his fingers reassuringly and walking closer to the rock formations Riku had pointed out before, the islands much larger that Roxas had realized now that they were further along the beach. Curiosity was twisting knots inside him, and he was shaking a bit from nervousness and excitement, his eyes darting between the shallow waves lapping at the sandy beach up to the little forested islands nearby. His thoughts were a whirlwind, his heart pounding like a drum when Naminé lifted her arm and waved out across the water, calling out to another wolf who was watching their approach. This girl was older, taller and fuller-figured than Naminé, and she seemed a bit wary of the boy approaching what was undoubtedly the path to their den. There was a sand-bar hidden in the shallow waves linking the mainland to the small islands nearby, crabs scuttling about and sea-gulls calling back and forth to one another as they rode the air currents far above their heads. Roxas could smell smoke, spiced meat, and other wolves. Lots of other wolves, it seemed, hidden somewhere beneath that canopy of green sheltering the islands. He swallowed thickly, fighting back the emotions threatening to overtake his senses, and when Naminé pulled him forward towards the other girl he stepped in time with her, a smile across his face when he made eye contact with their observer.

"Quistis! Look what I've found. He says he's from the eastern clan, and a white wolf was traveling with him! They've come a long way to meet everyone."

The older girl hesitated, crossing her arms over her bare chest and exhaling silently before turning her eyes to Naminé. "Are you certain it is wise to allow him access to the isles? We know nothing about him…"

 _She must be a guard. She's acting protective but she isn't outright standing up against Naminé… I wonder…_ Roxas turned his gaze to the petite girl at his side, flexing his quicksilver a bit to see if he could get a taste of the power he was searching for. And there it was, hidden just beneath the surface. Naminé felt like an alpha. It was a soft, warm feeling, nothing like the male alpha's he had shared the moon with before. But undoubtedly this small female was the alpha of the western sea-wolves, and that made Quistis a guard under her command. The way the older girl was watching them reflected her mild concern that her alpha would so quickly bring an outsider into their inner sanctum, but eventually the older girl exhaled softly and turned to the side, allowing Naminé to pass her by with Roxas in tow. She watched him carefully as the little alpha tugged Roxas along behind her, and he returned her evaluative gaze for a few moments longer before returning his attention to Naminé. She was talking excitedly about their den, about her clan, about their ways and life and all that they'd created here. Roxas felt his quicksilver churning slow and steady, his lunar soul reaching out to hers, squeezing her fingers just enough to have her glance back at him with a happy smile. "Oh, you'll love it here Roxas! I'm so glad you came to visit! It's been so long since we've had contact with our sister clan, I can't wait to hear all about the eastern beaches! I haven't been there in moons, since I was very young. I met the alpha's son, Cloud, the last time I visited there. I'm sure he's the alpha now, in place of his father. But why did you come alone? Didn't the others want to come with you?"

Roxas had stopped walking at the mention of his alpha, Naminé coming to a standstill as well when their linked fingers prevented her from taking another step. She cast her bright blue eyes towards her new friend, the shallow waves lapping at their ankles where they stepped along the sand-bar, the winds warm with salt and sun as they rushed past, tossing her long golden hair back and forth like waves of silk on the ocean breeze. She tucked her hair behind her ear, keeping her sight clear as she watched Roxas, noticing the change in his demeanor, taking a step closer to him and looking up at him with a curious little tilt of her head. When he remained silent, and didn't say anything, she cast her eyes down as well.

"I had hoped the rumors we had heard had been just that, and there would be no truth to them. That's why when I saw you there, I was so shocked yet excited all at once. I was so happy, thinking that this proved everything was fine after all. But it proves the exact opposite, doesn't it?"

"There are only two of us remaining from the east. Myself, and my twin brother." He met the alpha's eyes and answered the question he saw lingering there. "He has found a home with human companions that are dear to him. He has given up his life as a wolf, and he will never return to any clan. That is why I came alone."

"But you didn't come alone, did you?" Naminé's question was soft, gentle, a little smile playing across her lips. "You had quite the escort on your journey. I've never seen someone traveling side-by-side like that with a white wolf."

Roxas smiled fondly as well, nodding to her remarks. "Riku has been very kind to me, and has helped me on my search to find my place once again in this world. Without my alpha, I have been lost. That's why I came here, to try to find a place again…a place that I can call home."

"You were close to Cloud?" Naminé's voice was soft, sympathetic and understanding. "I couldn't imagine losing someone dear to me…you are much stronger that I am, Roxas. You must have endured so much to reach this point." She reached up, cupping his cheek gently and taking a step closer, searching his eyes. "You are welcome here, for as long as you would like. I am not sure I can give you what it is you're looking for, but if you believe you are capable of making a home here, you are more than welcome to do so."

Where she touched, runes ignited along Roxas' skin, flashing bright silver across his cheeks and down his neck before spreading across his entire body. Naminé watched, eyes wide, mystified at such a reaction – and then something clicked for her and she gasped audibly then reached up with her other hand and held his face between her palms gently, lovingly, her brows arched with genuine concern. Her tone was so sincere, so earnest and nearly broken with emotion as she searched his shining blue eyes with her own, barely holding back her tears.

"Oh my dear, sweet boy. You were Cloud's sentinel, weren't you? I am so sorry for your loss…"

"Thank you. Thank you for saying that." Roxas smiled and reached up to cup one of her hands against his cheek, closing his swirling irises for a moment and seeking comfort in her touch. He was glad she knew already, he was glad he didn't have to explain. It made sense, that their sister clan would know about the blessings of the moon, as they themselves were raised to believe along the eastern sea. Here, his presence as a sentinel would not be foreign or out of place, only accepted and embraced with open arms. The fact that she understood, that she knew what losing his alpha must mean, not only as a clan-mate but as a sentinel as well… It was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders that he hadn't realized he was carrying. Recognition, understanding, acceptance. He choked on his laugh and felt warmth spilling down his cheeks, and Naminé pressed herself to his chest and held his face tenderly between her hands, so small and warm and gentle he thought he might break. This tiny little alpha, this sweet girl he'd just met, she had healed him more than anyone else had managed to since he'd lost the love of his life. And somehow, though he'd only just arrived, he knew he would find his place here.

He was finally home.

-x-x-x-

Riku padded along the far side of the beach, opposite of the direction Roxas and Naminé had gone. He could sense Baralai was calling for him, and he exhaled softly and allowed his mind to wander into the astral realm, and found the other moon guardian waiting for him there. He greeted the older white wolf, bowing his lead lightly to show his respect and stepping forward through the spectral sands of the astral plane to meet him where he stood by the sea. Everything here was transparent white and blue, speckled with stardust and resonating with the pulse of the moon, his lunar soul howling within his chest as he relaxed into his natural state of being. Baralai watched him for a moment before he spoke, his voice echoing out across the sands as if the ocean itself were standing still. "It's been a while since you've checked in with us, little brother. I was beginning to wonder if you were planning on leaving the temple for good, and not return from your year of wandering."

"There is still time for me to return, brother." Riku perked his ears up a bit, pawing once more at the sand beneath him. "I know my rightful place, I have not forsaken my duty nor have I ever thought to do so." Riku flicked his ears towards the older wolf, his eyes soft and tone reverent as his thoughts drifted to Roxas. "Though I have found companions here in this realm, the moon calls to me, and I to her. I miss you all, and I will return to you when the time comes."

Baralai nodded his acceptance, stepping closer to the smaller male and rubbing his cheek to Riku's, who returned the touch in kind. He felt every fiber of his being singing at being so close to a kindred spirit, and when Baralai pulled away Riku was tinged with a hint of longing, a soft sigh escaping his chest. "We await your return, Riku. We will welcome you back gladly, when you decide the time is right to return to us. Until then, keep watch over those who have grown precious to you. The moon praises her guardians, and their work. You have been blessed with a rare opportunity to spend time in the presence of different clans, and forge bonds with different alphas. Not all of us were so lucky on our year exploring the world."

Riku nodded, a wolf's grin revealing a flash of fangs as he chuckled and replied, "I have been quite blessed, quite blessed indeed. I never expected for my adventure to be so amazing and inspiring. I have so much to tell you all when I return."

"We look forward to it, little brother. Until then, stay safe."

"You too, Baralai. Thank you." Riku watched as the astral form of the other wolf began to fade away into nothingness, and when he was sure the other wolf had gone he allowed himself to slip back to reality as well. Moments later he was back in the present, breathing steadily and blinking against the overwhelming brightness of the living realm. He breathed deeply, inhaling the salt in the air, eyes surveying the golden sands and the azure seas, watching the white-capped waves rolling and crashing against the shore. The sun was warm as it soaked into his brilliant white fur, and he felt something building within him until he couldn't contain it any longer – pointing his nose to the skies and letting out a long, resonating howl that sounded across the ocean and the islands nearby, a chorus of howls echoing back. One among them, he recognized. He padded forward across the sands, until he was running at full speed through the shallow waves, grinning broadly and allowing his feet to carry him to where Roxas was waiting. His year of wandering wasn't over yet. They still had time to spend together, new adventures to embark on, new memories to make.

He would make every moment of his remaining months memorable, for Roxas' sake.

And when he left his friend's side, and returned to the home he'd traveled far from… He would make sure every second of it was worth it.

He would make sure that Roxas never feel lost again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Original Run: Published: Dec 19, 2011 - Completed: Aug 1, 2016


End file.
